FDA OKs Gilead’s Lower-Priced Drug To Treat All Strains Of Hep C
Epclusa costs $74,760 for a 12-week course of treatment.
The Wall Street Journal:
Gilead Gets FDA Approval For Combo Hepatitis C Drug
Gilead Sciences Inc. received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Epclusa hepatitis C combination drug and priced the treatment below its older drugs for the disease. ... The new drug, a combination of the biopharmaceutical company’s Sovaldi with its new velpatasvir therapy, is the first drug that treats all six major strains of the disease. Gilead priced Epclusa lower than its older hepatitis C drugs, at $74,760 for a course of treatment before discounts, according to a company spokeswoman. (Stynes and Rockoff, 6/28)
The Associated Press:
FDA Approves First Pill To Treat All Forms Of Hepatitis C
Federal health officials on Tuesday approved the first pill to treat all major forms of hepatitis C, the latest in a series of drug approvals that have reshaped treatment of the liver-destroying virus. The Food and Drug Administration approved the combination pill, Epclusa, from Gilead Sciences for patients with and without liver damage. The new drug's broad indication could make it easier to use than five other hepatitis drugs recently approved by the FDA, which are each tailored to different viral strains or stages of liver disease. (6/28)
Stat:
FDA Approves A Gilead Pill That Is First To Treat All Forms Of Hepatitis C
Gilead Sciences won regulatory approval on Tuesday to sell a new hepatitis C combination drug, which can combat all six strains of the disease, and priced it below its older treatments. (Silverman, 6/28)
The Hill:
Gilead Wins FDA Approval For Cheaper Hepatitis C Cure
The company that created Sovaldi, the landmark drug to cure hepatitis C, has won approval for a new, slightly cheaper treatment that will be even more effective against the disease. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the newest drug from Gilead Sciences called Epclusa, which marks the first combination therapy to treat all six forms of the liver disease hepatitis C. (Ferris, 6/28)
For more drug pricing news, check out our weekly feature, Prescription Drug Watch, which includes coverage and perspectives of the issue.
And in other pharmaceutical news —
Los Angeles Times:
Xencor Signs Cancer-Drug Deal With Novartis; Its Stock Surges 32%
Shares of Los Angeles-area biotech firm Xencor Inc. soared Tuesday by 32% after the company announced a deal with Swiss drug giant Novartis. Under the agreement, Novartis will pay Xencor $150 million now and potentially much more in the future as the companies work to develop and commercialize two experimental cancer drugs. Monrovia-based Xencor will keep the rights to the drugs in the U.S. while Novartis will have those commercialization rights in the rest of the world. (Petersen, 6/28)
The Columbus Dispatch:
Emergency Medicine: So-Called ‘Smart Drugs’ Can Have Dangerous Consequences
The pills this young man was taking fit into the broader category of nootropics, pharmacological agents designed to improve cognition. These so-called “smart drugs” are becoming more and more popular, although not terribly well supported with scientific studies. ... What we also know, through survey data, is that men are more likely to experiment with medications and be more adventurous in pushing the limits of getting smarter, stronger and faster. That's why it is not surprising that the advertising for these “smart drugs” targets men, especially successful upwardly mobile men. (Gorgas, 6/29)