On Thursday, July 31, 2014, an Oregon Medicaid committee announced that it is going to be implementing stricter guidelines on patient screening to be allowed access to the use of Sovaldi, which is a new drug in the market that is being used to treat hepatitis C.
The drug, created by Gilead Sciences Inc., is said to be very effective, but also very expensive, with the pills reportedly costing $1000 each. According to Oregon's pharmaceutical review committee, the practicality of using the drug to treat liver disease is questionable given its price tag. For now, the new guidelines state the doctor to use of Sovaldi will only be permitted for patients who are already in the later stages of hepatitis C and who have been drug-free for six months prior to this treatment. They also have to secure the prescription from a gastrointestinal or liver specialist. This announcement prompted angry reaction from hepatitis groups and the patients that they work with. They stressed upon the importance of getting treatment for liver damage in the earlier stages since allowing the disease to progress increases the patient's risk for developing cancer while also diminishing the quality of life.
In 2013, Oregon had over 5,000 hepatitis C patients but, following the tight restrictions placed on the use of the drug, the Oregon Health Authority said that there is going to be a significantly less number of patients who will be qualified for Solvadi treatment.
A 12-week regulated treatment with Sovaldi, including other medications necessary in the regimen, is valued at $100,000. There are other, far less expensive, alternatives to this type of treatment with competing drugs but patients say that these are significantly less effective and the treatment harder to tolerate compared to Sovaldi. In 2007, the complex condition that is hepatitis C was one of the leading causes of death in the United States, surpassing even AIDS.