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WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Wednesday her administration will go after drug companies that charge exorbitant prices, singling out the company Gilead, whose hepatitis C drugs cost between $900 and $1,000 per pill in the United States.
Gilead’s hepatitis C drug cures what had been a chronic liver condition diagnosed in more than 3 million Americans that can lead to increased risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Gilead was recently granted permission to begin sales of its third and most effective drug to treat hepatitis C, Epclusa. It is expected to replace the company’s two previous drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni.
Epclusa will retail for $74,000 for a full treatment, or about $900 per pill, Bloomberg News reported. Sovaldi and Harvoni sold for about $10,000 more than that, or $84,000.
Patients in other countries, however, pay much less because their government-run healthcare systems negotiate prices, which Clinton said is unfair.