Falling prices for the ingredients in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) and Daklinza (daclatasvir) indicate that the combination treatment of the two could be produced generically for just $200, aidsmap reports. Andrew Hill, PhD, a senior research fellow at Liverpool University in England, presented findings from his research on drug ingredient prices at the Second European HIV Hepatitis Coinfection Conference in London.

Hill and his colleagues examined information on the prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) according to indiainfodrive.com (a reporting site for importers and exporters), finding that the APIs for Sovaldi fell from $8,000 per kilogram in January 2015 to about $2,000 per kg in September. During that period, the price per kg of the APIs in Daklinza fell from $10,000 to $2,000.

The investigators calculated that these API prices mean that, assuming a 50 percent profit margin for the manufacturer, a 12-week course of Sovaldi could be produced for $178. Twelve weeks of Daklinza would cost $22.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.