Gilead Sciences plans to license its hepatitis C drug Sovaldi to several Indian generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, allowing for lower-cost versions of the drug in India. According to the company, final details of the program in India will be released in the next few months. The company also has a similar program in place for its HIV/AIDS drugs.
 
Company spokesman Nick Francis said, “Gilead aims to establish tiered pricing. Providing treatment in resource-limited settings presents complex challenges, and we will work with partners in multiple sectors around the world to ensure our access program reaches as many patients as possible.”
 
In the U.S., Sovaldi was approved in December and costs $84,000 for 12 weeks of therapy or $1,000 for a daily pill. Prices in Europe are lower, with the cost for a course of treatment in the UK at about $57,000, while the price in Germany is approximately $66,000, according to the company. Sales of Sovaldi in the last three weeks of 2013 totaled more than $139 million.