$83,000 drug with 95-100 percent cure rate gets picked up by nations largest manager of pharmacy benefits despite colossal price

AbbVie, a company with a new drug having a hepatitis c cure rate of 95-100 percent, gets an approval from U.S. Health Regulators on December 19.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The cost of AbbVie's new treatment runs at $83,319 for the full treatment.

This substantial price is not uncommon when it comes to drugs with high effectiveness.

Save a life today

AbbVie competitor, Gilead released its hepatitis C fighting drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni costing $84,000 and $95,000 per full treatment.

Prices are justified based on the effectiveness of the treatment, according to Gilead's spokesperson.

"Prices are justified based on the cost of the production of the pharmaceutical," said AbbVie's spokesperson.

Newer of Gilead's drugs, Sovaldi has been selling at $3 billion per quarter because the drug is in such high demand.

With AbbVie and other new companies entering the market, a downward price should pressure the existing companies into lowering prices.

Gilead has already been effected by competition in the market as the nation's largest manager of pharmacy benefits, Express Scripts Holding Co., struck a deal with AbbVie, making it the sole option for patients with common forms of hepititis C.

"This agreement marks a fundamental change in how sustainable access and affordability will be delivered to hepatitis C patients," said Dr. Steve Miller, chief medical officer at Express Scripts, in a statement for Los Angeles Times.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'