"This drug is of public health importance but it wont do much good if its unaffordable for the more than one hundred million people with hepatitis C in developing countries."

Well, duh, we are in "developed" countries, and it's unaffordable here too. "HELLO, HELLO, MSF, this drug is out of the price range of almost everyone in the N. Americas, which you probably considered "developed countries" who have HCV. Oh, Europe too. What are "developing" countries anyway?" Sure, we have "insurance" - some do anyway - but even for the insured, how many will have providers who will bite into this fat bullet right outta the ammo box?

Ya know, this is OUTRAGEOUS.

It's kind of like software to me. Why charge $800 for a program and sell X number of copies when you can lower the price to $200 and sell 10 times as much??? The production of the drug will not cost much. They need to recoup the billion dollars they paid Pharmacet for the molecule and if the stuff is not flying off the shelf hopefully they will rethink the pricing. Let's hope!!!!

EXACTLY - I mean, EXACTLY. Your logic is so spot on. They could sell SO MUCH MORE if the price was halfway reasonable. Makes NO sense to me - are they expecting the rock stars and Hollyweirdo's to buy tons of this drug at retail price or what?

Let's hope - yes, we will do that!

No, Kramer, it is NOT like software IMHO. You won't DIE for lack of software!!

This is greed at it's worst...not "let them eat bread"...."let them die."

Catmagic, some of us have insurance that pays these ridiculous prices or pays a negotiated portion of it. My monthly RA infusions are billed at $6000 a pop (including use of a hospital recliner chair for an hour). Medicare pays about 50% of that and the hospital accepts it and month after month it gets billed at $6k. Some kind of game.

SERIOUSLY....can we brainstorm here. Does anyone think that some kind of public campaign to embarrass this company would help? I, for one, who have protected my anonymity re this issue and ready to go public to apply pressure against this atrocity.

I have been warehoused for TEN YEARS waiting for these meds. !!! I'm not getting any younger and as we age our risk of cirrhosis increases. I'm alone. there are what millions ? of baby boomer with hepC who need this.

I'm going to at the very least try a letter to the NY Times.

I just pitched it to 60 Minuted and 48 Hours. You can to - BOTH at this one link. The more the merrier:

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml

Let us not forget that while Gilead is price gauging they are being sued for patent infringement .....AND, Gildead CEO John Martin finagled $19M through insider trading (per a "Face to Hate" thread here). http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/biotech/2013/12/gilead-gild-john-martin-stock-hiv-hepc.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vertical_32+%28Biotechnology+Industry+News%29

Just because they charge these prices doesn't mean that's what their getting it. Insurance will only pay so much regardless of what you see on the bill. My dad use to get shots in the eye for degeneration at 6 k a pop. I don't think that is what the doctor ended up with. Peace