Gilead Is Questioned On Price Of Sovaldi

Three members of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce have written a letter to Gilead Sciences CEO John C. Martin questioning the price of the firm’s new hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. Approved by FDA in December 2013, Sovaldi will be sold for $84,000 per course of treatment. “Our concern is that a treatment will not cure patients if they cannot afford it,” the representatives write. They want Martin to brief committee staffers on how Gilead established Sovaldi’s pricing, the extent to which the firm will provide discounts to low-income or government purchasers, and the value to the company of FDA’s expedited review of the drug, which shaved about four months from the approval process. The company says it is aware of the concerns raised in the letter and it had previously reached out to a number of members of Congress. “We look forward to the opportunity to meet with them,” it says.