Posted on 03/25/2014 10:49:56 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
Gilead Sciences' (GILD) Sovaldi is now projected to become the best-selling medicine of all time by several analysts.
Sovaldi is the first in a new wave of Hep C treatments that promise better cure rates and a shorter treatment course. Some even forecast it would reach $9 billion or more in sales by 2017, at which level it would surpass Pfizer's (PFE) Lipitor and take the crown as the biggest-selling drug of all time.
Analysts are trying to outdo each other with optimistic forecasts. According to ISI Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum, if prescriptions were to never grow again, that is assuming a flat line from here on, sales could be projected at $8 billion for 2014.
RBC analyst Michael Yee notes, Sovaldi's weekly total prescriptions are tracking 114 percent higher in its first full-quarter of launch than what Incivek, Vertex's (VRTX) Hep C drug did. Incivek holds the title for fastest drug launch ever, after raking in $1.56 billion in the first four quarters.
Wells Fargo analyst Brian Abrahams maintains an Outperform rating on Gilead, following IMS prescription data for Sovaldi for the week ending Feb. 28. The week's total prescriptions for Sovaldi were 6,398, up 20.9 percent vs. the previous week's 5,291. In one scenario, he forecasts sales by the end of 2014 at $10.80 billion.
(Excerpt) Read more at seekingalpha.com ...
The most Hep C infested country in the world is Egypt, where about 10% of the population have the disease, a consequence of a poorly executed humanitarian effort against a water borne parasite that had crippled Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs.
It is an awesome drug. I’m almost half way through a 24 week therapy. My liver panel test from last month showed after 60 days of treatment, my liver panel test shows my liver back to mid-normal range. Prior to treatment, they were 4-5 times higher.
I tried the standard interferon treatment twice and the infection came back as soon as I stopped taking the medicine. The side effects of the interferon was terrible. It changes you emotionally, physically and I believe it changes you for life. Terrible stuff. When you hear the phrase “the cure is worse than the disease”, they were talking about interferon.
The Sovaldi treatment has none of those nasty side effects and as I progress, instead of feeling worse, I have more energy than I have had in 15 years and I am cautiously optimistic, we will kill the virus this time.
I contracted the disease the best we can tell, either from a blood transfusion in 1968 or a tattoo I got in a seedier part of Seattle back in 1978. Either way, that was a long time ago and now even with the treatment, my liver is functioning on 11% due to the non-alcoholic cirrhosis my liver has developed.
The doctors believe I will gain more use after we kill the virus due to the fact the liver can replicate itself.
I am thankful to Gilead and their awesome research staff located at Stanford University!
Great news! Hope and pray for more!
Gilead paid $11 billion to acquire a young company called Pharmasset to get this drug. Their stock price dropped 10% on the announcement. But now we know it was a great risk and acquisition. Their stock price is way up over the past three years. I'm happy that it's working out for you.
Gilead offers Egypt new hepatitis C drug at 99 percent discount
Did the people in Egypt get Hep C from drinking feces tainted water?
Should have added:
I thought Hep C was pretty much blood borne, not fecal/oral like Hep A.
Been waiting for a drug like this to come along... unfortunately I probably won't be able to afford it any time soon. I gave up alcohol (much to my dismay) the day I got my diagnoses and have been fine as a result, so I can afford to wait longer if need be.
Thansk RoosterRedux.
Gilead Sciences’ $84000 price for hepatitis drug is scrutinized
Mar 21, 2014
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hepc-drug-cost-20140322,0,7075548.story
Don’t wait. Gilead/McKesson has a payer assistance program to help folks get the medicine.
My insurance was cancelled by the Obamacare mandate and I had to use the state exchange to get an Obamacare mandated policy so I too thought I wouldn’t get treatment either.
However, after talking to my liver specialist, we found Gilead’s program and another my state offers, (it apparently is believed cheaper to pay for treatment than a liver transplant or let patients go untreated), which brings my cost for this very expensive drug down to a $5.00 monthly co-pay.
Please, go see your doctor or call Gilead/McKesson at the number listed on their website. Good luck.
Gilead also has another drug, 100% effective, in the FDA pipeline and they believe they’ll have a vaccination for Hep C in 5-10 years.
Go see your doctor, please.
So far he's been telling me that the hep C won't be what kills me (as long as I avoid alcohol) and my liver numbers have been almost normal... but I certainly would like to be able to drink again (I'm Irish after all!).
But thanks for the tip... I'll also investigate the options through their web site.
Congratulation! Here’s to Science and the progress of medicine. May 0bamacare never stamp it out!
No, from reusing needles when they were being injected with the anti-parasite drug. The first generation were directly infected, then women passed the disease to their children.
Schistosomiasis used to be a common parasitic disease in Egypt acquired through swimming or wading in contaminated irrigation channels or standing water.
Widespread treatment campaigns were carried out in the countryside of Egypt in the 60’s-70’s and early 80’s. At the time of availability of only glass syringes, needles were routinely inadequately sterilized by boiling due to time restraints and limited resources.
It is. They reused contaminated needles.
Thank you for the explanation. Absolutely tragic.
I have had two friends die from Hep C. Long drawn out suffering. Three more friends have it. At least two from transfusions; others from decades ago drug use.
Thank you, you wouldn’t believe how much better I feel. I’ve had 12 very tough years. I’m thinking if this works, I’ll be able to go back to work full time!!!
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