The same is the matter here, big pharmaceutical company is ready to fill their pockets up using new hepatitis c drug. Although "It's a revolutionary drug, a great news for all those who suffer from hepatitis C". American doctors have no doubt that the drug, now approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is intended to open a new frontier in the fight against one of the most dangerous and widespread diseases.
The miracle drug is a pill taken once a day, is called Sovaldi and the active ingredient that fights the virus is sofosvubir, a molecule capable of defeating even the most resistant strains. According to the FDA Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) is the first drug that has been shown to safely and effectively treat certain types of hepatitis C infection without a need for interferon injections. Up-till now interferon, was the only effective remedy but it also brings with it serious side effects: insomnia, nausea, depression, flu-like symptoms.
In addition to being much less invasive, this "sovaldi" treatment promises success rates high: around 80% according to the latest tests, but need further confirmation. "It's a great step forward in the fight against hepatitis, we can defeat much more easily the virus especially in chronic patients" according to Edward Cox one of the members of the FDA Committee.
Here i am not going to tell you what hepatitis is, almost everybody is aware what hepatitis C is and those who are not can read it in Wikipedia but here i am going to discuss the price of this new drug.
The recommended duration of treatment with this pill called sovaldi is one pill one a day for 12 weeks . unfortunately if you want this treatment you would have to pay 28 thousand dollars for four weeks only, which mean in order to take full course of 12 weeks , it would cost you 84 thousand dollars. And you get to share 168 thousand for the 24 weeks treatment that is required to beat the more resistant infections.
"It is shameful and unacceptable: there is no logic to justify these prices. A folly on the skin of patients around the world" attacks Michael Weinstein president of one of the major organizations that help people with AIDS, the protagonist in the past for other fighting very hard with Big Pharma on the price of medicines.
Gilead Science, the company that manufactures the pill reacts with its usual calm: "The price is in line with the market, even when compared with other competitors that are less effective and less innovative. Then we will try to implement programs to help patients who do not have the means. " For the company announced a success, according to Wall Street analysts, the drug is designed to exceed all sales records and generously rewards the $ 11 billion invested in the project.
Gilead beats all other big pharmaceutical companies that are working in the search for cures like. "In the next 18 months will reach other medicines that greatly simplify the treatment of hepatitis, will be less invasive and mostly take the cure rate of over 90%," says Cox. As we now know that the number of patients suffering from hepatitis C in the world exceeds 180 million, almost four in the United States, ten million in Pakistan alone. This new treatment would have been a real blessing if its prices weren't that high.
I don't criticize them for making profits but the thing is , Is it ethical to make profits out of the misery of others when you can already do that but at a slower pace. I mean is it important to profit from it within weeks by setting such a high price for it..
The good news is atleast now you don't have to worry about Hepatitis C , provided you have a quite a few thousand dollars spare in your pocket.
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