Gilead Expands Access of Hepatitis C Drug in Developing Countries

Gilead said it will license its hepatitis C drug Sovaldi to seven drugmakers in India to expand access to the medicine in developing countries. The agreement will allow the companies, which include Mylan Laboratories, Ranbaxy Laboratories and Strides Arcolab, to manufacture the drug and distribute it in 91 developing countries. The drugmakers who license the medicine will set their own prices for the generic product they produce, paying a royalty on sales to Gilead. Sovaldi can reportedly cost $84,000 for a course of treatment in the U.S. Gilead says the countries within the agreement account for more than 100 million people living with hepatitis C.