Resistance to Sovaldi as a treatment for Hepatitis C from Heath Benefit Insurers

Express Scripts ,the pharmacy benefits manager, which handles drug reimbursement for a large section of the U.S. private insurance market, is forming a coalition to refuse to use Sovaldi once a competitor comes to the market. The $84,000 drug is according to Express Scripts, too expensive for payers to bear. Other pharmacy benefit managers are seeking ways to limit the drug if possible to the most sick patients or delay use of the drug until competitors come to the market and influence a reduction of price. The problem for Gilead is that Sovaldi is a mass market drug and the cost to the community will be huge.