A $10 generic version of Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), Gilead Sciences’ breakthrough hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, is now available in Bangladesh and could make its way to other nations where the U.S. pharmaceutical company does not hold patents, Bloomberg reports.
Incepta Pharmaceuticals, the drug’s manufacturer, is calling its generic version Hopetavir. The company is specifically eyeing low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Southeast Asia for distribution.
The Bangladeshi company does not have a license from Gilead to produce generic Sovaldi. However, it can produce the drug legally, thanks to a World Trade Organization agreement that says the world’s least developed countries do not have to protect pharmaceutical patents.
Overall, Hopetavir will cost about $900 for a full, 12-week course of treatment, which matches the discount price that Gilead is offering for its branded version of the drug in India. The U.S. price tag for a full course of Sovaldi is $84,000.
Gilead said it is aware that these “unauthorized generic versions” of Sovaldi are being produced, but has decided to focus more on helping out the 11 Indian drug manufacturers it recently authorized to produce cheaper versions of the pill.
In the meantime, the World Health Organization is in talks with Incepta, along with several other companies in India and Egypt, to get new, patent-free Sovaldi generics pre-qualified for international aid groups.
$10 Per Pill ‘Unauthorized’ Generic Sovaldi Being Sold in Bangladesh
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