Dr. Douglas Dieterich: “High Prescription Drug Prices”
The mounting scrutiny of prescription drug prices in the U.S. reached fever pitch when a new drug for hepatitis C was priced at about $1,000 a day. Gilead Sciences' Sovaldi, approved in December, cures the viral liver infection in most cases. It takes about 12 weeks, and costs $84,000. "I don't think there's any question that treating patients with hepatitis C will lower overall health-care costs in the coming 20 years," said Douglas Dieterich, MD, Professor of Medicine (Liver Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "If we could get rid of the liver disease in these patients with hepatitis C, prevent them from dying of liver cancer, cirrhosis and liver failure, then there's no question the cost will be less." Learn more