Generic Hepatitis C Medications from India. Is Honduras Next?

Well it is interesting how things begin to build their own momentum and one’s place in the world becomes redefined as a result.

It seems for the moment my work is in helping people get access to affordable Hep C medication. A lot of folk are flying to India themselves to get the medication and it seems a slightly larger number are getting their medication sent by courier. It is great to get emails from people telling me how after only a couple of weeks on the treatment they are feeling so much better, energy levels rising, appetites returning and so on... all using generic India sofosbuvir and ribavirin.

Of course there are also a lot of people waiting for generic Harvoni to be released in India. I guess I get about 5 or 6 emails each day just asking me if I know when that is.

So I will explain the situation again. Gilead has licensed several Indian companies to produce a generic version of Harvoni. That is done. The process now in play is that the Indian government has to give the approval for Harvoni to be made and sold in India. Like all government process this is going to take time. Based on previous examples the expectation is that generic Harvoni will be available for sale in India somewhere between October and December 2015. At this point we do not know the price.

Another interesting development for people living in the USA, Canada, Mexico and other American countries, is that Honduras is one of the 91 countries that Gilead allows Indian manufacturers to sell into. Last month one of India’s pharmaceutical companies Natco entered into an agreement with a Honduras company Drogueria Humana S.A.to distribute their generic sofosbuvir in Honduras. I am uncertain as to total costs including the ribavirin and am not sure about current availability as this has only just happened however this should be a good thing for anyone living in South American countries in particular. It would probably also make it easier for Canadians, who are legally allowed to bring back a three month course of prescription medication (with a prescription) on their person but can not get it sent by courier.