A useful editorial in JAMA (available free online –jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1890401 …) provides a useful overview of HCV treatments in terms of costs and strategies for using new therapies.

A couple of useful points

• Given the cost of medications, many are using the newer therapies in those who absolutely need treatment now and waiting for costs to improve in others
• “The ultimate approach to cost will be lower prices, which will occur as more products create competition.”
• “This fall, an oral combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir will be introduced that inhibits both the NS5B polymerase and NS5A polymerase and has been shown to reduce treatment to an 8-week course with cure rates of more than 95%.2 Now, a chronic disease that affects millions of Americans can be cured by well-tolerated oral medications.”
• Because of the large number of potential patients, “the simple math is that treatment of patients with HCV could add $200 to $300 per year to every insured American’s health insurance premium for each of the next 5 years.”

Related blog posts:

• The Future is Now (for Hepatitis C) | gutsandgrowth
• HCV Treatments: “Sticker Shock” or “Low Value …