Biotech Values

[jbog]

Makes me wonder where the real numbers will end up:

Two treatments introduced late last year have steep price tags: Gilead Sciences Inc.'s Sovaldi has a list price of $84,000 per patient for a standard 12-week treatment, while Johnson & Johnson's Olysio costs $66,000 for the same duration.

The drugs promise faster treatment and a better chance of a cure than older drugs do, but some prisons aren't providing them because of budget constraints. Others are rationing them to inmates with the most serious cases. Some prisons have asked state lawmakers for funding to help pay for the drugs, so far without success.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which houses about 9% of the nation's inmates, gets a 44% discount on Sovaldi and Olysio through a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program, making the drugs a bit more affordable.

State prison systems, which house 58% of U.S. inmates, generally don't have access to these discounts, though some are exploring other ways to get price breaks.



Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/new-hepatitis-drugs-vex-prisons-20140424-01848#ixzz2zvHmhuuG