Subscribing to the so-called Netflix model for purchasing hepatitis C treatments is projected to lower patient costs by approximately 85 percent in Australia, where the government is working its way through a five-year deal in which several drug makers were paid a lump sum of $766 million for the medicines, according to an analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Under emerging Netflix models — which vary — states or countries agree to pay a fixed amount of money to receive unlimited treatments of a drug for a patient population.
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The drug Epclusa® – a combination of sofosbuvir 400mg and velpatasvir 100mg – is the first of the direct-acting antiviral treatments effective for all types of the disease. It will cost most patients A$38.80, and A$6.30 for concession card holders. Before the PBS listing, the cost exceeded A$20,000 You can buy Generic Medicine Online low price in Australia
Interesting approach to cost savings and public health. It sounds like a good deal for both sides. The fly in the ointment, however, might be reinfection. I’m assuming that most of the cases of Hepatitis C in Australia, as in the US, are from IV drug use.
Unless all those infected can be treated quickly and/or there is a stop to IV drug use, there will possibly be a reservoir of continuous re-infected individuals who will need to be retreated. This will also raise the specter of resistance developing to this drugs
Not a prediction; just a cautionary note. It will be interesting to see how it works out, particularly, if this approach does lead to the eradication or near eradication of Hepatitis C.
Nice article, however, I think it failed to emphasize the biggest reason the cost was so low. That was good old Capitalism and real competition where Abbvie and others mentioned were able to make their own Hep C drug so much cheaper then Gileads > $120,000 3 month cure. That is how competition should work in an open market. This affordability factor is why one could actually predict the end of Hepatitis C in developed country. Hat’s off to the Researchers and to real competition.