MHPA wants OMB to evaluate projected Sovaldi costs

The Medicaid Health Plans of America, a trade group representing Medicaid health plans, sent a Sovaldi sofosbuvir from Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) across all federal programs, Cabinet departments and agencies. In its letter, MHPA said taxpayers and Congress should be aware of the "severe cost implications" that HCV treatments will have on federal spending (see BioCentury Extra, April 28).

Gilead has been under increasing pressure from insurers and pharmacy benefit managers as well as patient groups and legislators to reduce the price of Sovaldi, which has a wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of $84,000 for a 12-week course of therapy. At the William Blair Growth Stock Conference on Tuesday, Gilead said the cost of Sovaldi plus peginterferon and ribavirin was "just over $94,000." The company maintains that the cost of Sovaldi is less than the standard of care because patients take Sovaldi for a much shorter treatment period (see BioCentury, June 9). ...