Hepatitis C Support Group

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.

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Follow the money?

Brigid13
Brigid13
I'm confused. I get why Gilead charges so much for Harvoni (greed) and also why insurance co's refuse (ditto). So who are these people in Texas, the Specialty Pharmacy that's been guiding me through the process of getting me free meds. Who pays them? I hardly believe they are nice people who want to help those with Hep C. I get the meds from them. Does Gilead pay them?
TomrrowsHope
TomrrowsHope
I wondered the same thing...they are really co operative for sure compared to the rest of the procedure to get this drug...
Brigid13
Brigid13
They called me every other day. Sometimes they didn't realize they'd already called, and they called a second time. They were nice, but not that smart. They kept calling to say they were waiting for the dr. to do a "peer to peer." After the third time, I suggested they call the dr. instead of calling me.

Who is paying them?
MLTTexas
MLTTexas
I went through it too. Took Sovaldi and Olysio last Spring through a specialty pharmacy in TX. I didn't have to pay anything. The pharmacy gets paid from our insurance company/and or our medicare. But it's far less than what the meds are supposed to cost. Then from what I was told, I was awarded a grant to cover the rest through Pan Foundation, which is funded through donations. (?) It took several months for my insurance to agree to pay, but once they agreed, after the pharmacy and my doctor sending appeals, things went smoothly. I was just so glad to finally be getting the treatments and not having to pay, that I just "went with the flow" and didn't try to figure everything out.
Dawter
Dawter
That is a good question - never thought of it before. My specialty pharmacy is very helpful - I have placed a number of calls to them.

I assume Gilead is driving all their prescriptions to them, so they make their money off the paying ones and donate their services to the rest and get a tax write off.

They are very knowledgeable but I would also run questions by your specialist's nurse too (if they specialize in liver disease) as I find mine more knowledgeable than the Gilead nurse .
MAK1AH
MAK1AH
I'll bet it's not Bill Gates.
MAK1AH
MAK1AH
I think that considering how much Interferon cost, and how UNRELIABLE it was for working, vs how EFFECTIVE Harvoni is, it does seem that the price is justified. When it works 98% of the time. They spent years researching and testing this drug.

I even gave some of my HCV in blood for research, I was paid $35 for my trouble. They said they were going to study the parts of the virus. Harvoni deactivates the replication cycle by preventing the union of the virus to the host protein. Kind of like stopping the sperm from entering the egg.

I tthink it also stops liver cell death I think. I can't find that again, but read it a week ago. Ha anyone else read that?

Support Path asked for my doctor's phone number.
MAK1AH
MAK1AH
PS, My Harvoni comes from Florida. Covance.