New HCV Advocate News and Pipeline: patient assistance

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Showing posts with label patient assistance. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2015

Gilead Limits Enrollment in its Hep C Patient Program to Pressure Insurers

In a bid to push back against payers, Gilead Sciences GILD -0.71% is limiting enrollment to its patient assistance program for hepatitis C drugs, which helps people obtain the Sovaldi and Harvoni treatments when they lack sufficient insurance coverage or the financial wherewithal to get the medicines otherwise.

The drug maker is taking this step after finding that some payers, despite receiving discounts in recent months, have continued to restrict patient access to its hepatitis C medicines. As a result, Gilead has been picking up the cost of the medicines for more people it would like seeking patient assistance, according to a July 1 letter sent to patient groups and community health providers, among others.

A Gilead spokeswoman declined to say how many people are enrolled in its Support Path assistance program, how many may be affected by the change or provide actions taken by specific payers.

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