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Author Topic: Gilead Raises Drug Prices  (Read 8668 times)

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Offline edfu

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Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« on: April 04, 2011, 09:06:35 pm »
As of April 1, Gilead Sciences has increased the price of its biggest seller, Atripla, by 5.1%. Gilead also raised the price of HIV drugs Truvada and Emtriva by 7.9%.

These increases are in addition to increases of 12% for Atripla, 13% for Truvada, and 13% for Emtriva from the first quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010.

This action is completely despicable, especially given the ADAP crisis and the general economy, not to mention that these are not new formulations in any way.  I am at the moment livid with anger.  They are blood-sucking monsters.  I cannot say more.  

P.S.  I do have more to say, which adds some further perspective:  According to a Dow Jones article today, Gilead reported 2010 total product sales of $7.39 billion, with Atripla bringing in $1.9 billion in the U.S. Truvada had U.S. sales of $1.3 billion last year.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2011, 09:33:43 pm by edfu »
"No one will ever be free so long as there are pestilences."--Albert Camus, "The Plague"

"Mankind can never be free until the last brick in the last church falls on the head of the last priest."--Voltaire

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2011, 09:40:18 pm »
As of April 1, Gilead Sciences has increased the price....This action is completely despicable, especially given the ADAP crisis ... I am at the moment livid with anger.
oh great (massively sarcastic tone), just as we start into FY2011 and the states have some $$ for ADAP again, now the prices go up. I was already bemoaning the problem that the 11 states with waiting lists were starting off FY2011 in the hole and would run out of funds even earlier this year than last year - but this price hike will just ensure that crisis!
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2011, 10:03:22 pm »
ah! there's more evilness than I imagined on first glance. I just got an email from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (who just happened to have sent a rep for a presentation last week to the SC HIV/AIDS Care Crisis Task Force as we had a day of training and advocacy speaking to our SC legislators about fully funding ADAP) about Gilead.

Quote
Gilead Sciences will soon apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market its HIV chemo-therapy Truvada to HIV negative gay  men.  Truvada is currently only approved for use in HIV+ patients. However, it can be prescribed off-label to HIV negativepatients by any doctor who feels that their patient is at high risk of contracting HIV.

The multi-billion dollar profit that Gilead is currently making on Truvada is not enough for them.  Bloomberg has estimated that Gilead would add $1 billion in revenue if the FDA approves Truvada for use in HIV negatives. One billion dollars is more than the entire US government budget for HIV prevention.
Gilead is basing its application on a single study that found that it reduced infection by only 44%. What medication is approved based on only a 44% success rate? That means that 56% of the gay men who participated in the study were not protected.
more info at http://nomagicpills.org/ and http://www.aidshealth.org/

I was always concerned about the mis-reporting of Truvada as some sort of miracle prophylaxis; but now Gilead plans to use that misconception AND higher price for more profits.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline buginme2

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2011, 11:23:47 pm »
According to the Wall Street Journal they are not increasing the price for drugs obtained through ADAP's

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110404-708185.html

Just saying
Don't be fancy, just get dancey

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2011, 11:41:02 pm »
According to the Wall Street Journal
ok. do you know what do I have to do to see the rest of the article?
Quote
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD), known for selling HIV drugs, increased the prices of several of its top selling products at the beginning of the month.

The Foster City, Calif., drug maker increased ...
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline buginme2

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2011, 12:26:18 am »
Weird, I accessed the article from google.com/news.  It displayed the whole article.
Don't be fancy, just get dancey

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2011, 12:34:25 am »
Weird
odd. I'm using the same adblocker etc on several computers in my house. Two display the whole article and three don't  ::) Thanks for the link, by the way

Quote
For the company's HIV products, a price freeze for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs remains in effect, she said.
well, I hope what the the unnamed spokesperson said is true for ADAP. However, the price hike still garners the company extra bucks for all (if any! LOL) of those new Truvada users.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline Hellraiser

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2011, 04:16:48 am »
Does this really surprise anyone?  They have us by the balls, they can pretty much name their price since so many people are on truvada.

Offline metekrop

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  • Is time running fast for you.
Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2011, 10:41:52 am »
How much is this "truvada" is costing in US??

I use “Atripla” and it is costing me $2332 for one month which is for 30 pills.
Diag.on 12/8, 2000, CD 440 VL 44K, No Meds
12/08 - 2/09 CD< 50 & VL >500k hosp'z.
St. Atripla - 7/09 CD 179, VL 197k
10/09 CD 300 VL U
3/10 468 U
8/10 460 U
12/10 492 U
3/11 636 U
8/11 530 U
1/12  616 U
7/12 640 U
12/12 669 U
5/13 711 U
11/13 663 U
4/14  797 U
10/14 810 U
4/15 671 U
10/15 694 U
3/16 768 U
8/16 459 U
2/22 780 U
8/31 940 U
2/26 809 U
8/18 882 U
3/28 718 U
8/15 778 U
2/25 920 70
8/11 793 U
2/22 690 U
6/8 834 U

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2011, 11:11:46 am »
How much is this "truvada" is costing in US??

I use “Atripla” and it is costing me $2332 for one month which is for 30 pills.
my med costs are paid for thru federal Medicare and SC state Medicaid. In Feb, Truvada cost $1058.77, Norvir cost $274.87, and Reyataz cost $995.59 for a total of $2326.23 for a month's worth of meds.

And thinking about the costs, does it really seem all that cost-effective for someone to take $1059-worth of Truvada a month and risk any side effects to have unprotected sex a few times a month and only gain a 44% of not getting infected?  ::)
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline liketheboat

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2011, 02:11:58 pm »
wow you pay $2332 for a 30 day supply of Atripla!!!!! I only pay $1676.00.
Aaron
Memorial Day 2010 Seroconverted
Labor Day 2010 tested positive
Oct 2010 cd4 359 vl 6,500
Dec 2010 cd4 vl 306
Jan 2011 started Atripla
Feb 2011 cd4 250 vl ud
April 2011 cd4 399 vl ud
June 2011 cd4 293 vl ud
October 2011 cd4 354 vl ud
March 2012 cd4 561 vl ud

Offline metekrop

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  • Is time running fast for you.
Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2011, 02:14:55 pm »
wow you pay $2332 for a 30 day supply of Atripla!!!!! I only pay $1676.00.

Where you are at?
Diag.on 12/8, 2000, CD 440 VL 44K, No Meds
12/08 - 2/09 CD< 50 & VL >500k hosp'z.
St. Atripla - 7/09 CD 179, VL 197k
10/09 CD 300 VL U
3/10 468 U
8/10 460 U
12/10 492 U
3/11 636 U
8/11 530 U
1/12  616 U
7/12 640 U
12/12 669 U
5/13 711 U
11/13 663 U
4/14  797 U
10/14 810 U
4/15 671 U
10/15 694 U
3/16 768 U
8/16 459 U
2/22 780 U
8/31 940 U
2/26 809 U
8/18 882 U
3/28 718 U
8/15 778 U
2/25 920 70
8/11 793 U
2/22 690 U
6/8 834 U

Offline liketheboat

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2011, 02:17:43 pm »
Im in Montana. My pharmancy is thru the county health department in Missoula. i am actually very lucky and my insurance pays all but $75.00 and then i have the copay assistance card so i pay anything for my medication.
Aaron
Memorial Day 2010 Seroconverted
Labor Day 2010 tested positive
Oct 2010 cd4 359 vl 6,500
Dec 2010 cd4 vl 306
Jan 2011 started Atripla
Feb 2011 cd4 250 vl ud
April 2011 cd4 399 vl ud
June 2011 cd4 293 vl ud
October 2011 cd4 354 vl ud
March 2012 cd4 561 vl ud

Offline buginme2

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2011, 03:12:35 pm »
The prices are obscene theres no doubt to that.  However, I do wonder if there wasnt this financial incentive to charging us in the United States an obscene amount for drugs, would we see the same amount of new drug creation.   Gilead and other drug companys are not creating new treatments out of the goodness of their hearts.
Don't be fancy, just get dancey

Offline hope_for_a_cure

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #14 on: April 05, 2011, 04:50:59 pm »
Their 'spin' on high costs is that huge amounts of money is needed for research.  Sure, some does go into research and development but the reality is that its big business and profit is expected by shareholders.  If the stock tanks affecting the company's bottom line, then what good would it be as an investment?  

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2011, 05:49:07 pm »
Their 'spin' on high costs is that huge amounts of money is needed for research. ... If the stock tanks affecting the company's bottom line, then what good would it be as an investment?  
along with research, I would imagine that part of "us" paying higher prices is what allows them to offer their meds at those incredibly low prices in less affluent areas of the world like Africa. However Hope4Cure is right, in the end follow the money and it's about the profits. Although profit in and of itself isn't that terrible, it's the incredible amount of profits that makes the high consumer cost outrageous.
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline Joe K

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2011, 07:04:13 pm »
Their 'spin' on high costs is that huge amounts of money is needed for research.  Sure, some does go into research and development but the reality is that its big business and profit is expected by shareholders.  If the stock tanks affecting the company's bottom line, then what good would it be as an investment?  

And that spin is exactly that: "spin". If you look closely at the large drug companies, you will see that they spend far more on marketing, then they do on research. They just want you to think that all that money goes to research, when they pay thousands of doctors to prescribe their meds and why you need to advertise anti-HIV meds is beyond me. They also forget to mention the billions they have made, off drugs developed on the taxpayers dime and their friends in Congress who still refuse to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

There was a time, when the good of humanity mattered, as was demonstrated by the company that developed the polio vaccine, when they allowed anyone to make it, because it was the right thing to do.

Offline leatherman

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #17 on: April 05, 2011, 07:41:10 pm »
why you need to advertise anti-HIV meds is beyond me
That's a very good point. Every time I have seen a medication ad here on this site, I have wondered exactly the same thing. Though a person's regimen often hinges on what their doctor recommends, it's not like it's that easy to just willy-nilly switch from one regimen to another to another, much less that once you start on a regimen that works for you, there's not really any good reason to switch.

plus there's that underlying issue that if a person has HIV and gets to the appropriate medical point, meds are necessary to stave off AIDS and death. It would be nice to only take meds for a short time and be "cured" but HIV meds for life makes for a lot of guaranteed consumers and guaranteed income/profits.

In reality isn't the money spent on HIV medication advertisements simply wasted money?
leatherman (aka Michael)

We were standing all alone
You were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a mover shaker
Dancing to Madonna then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
- Darren Hayes, "Chained to You"

Offline mikeyb39

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #18 on: April 05, 2011, 07:49:01 pm »
I think my Atripla is 2500.00 for a 3 months supply with my work insurance, I just have to pay the co-pay which is 140.00, right now the co-pay assistance pays that.

I did see that Gilead is in the final clinical trials of another medication they call 'the Quad' supposed to be 4 medications in one pill taken similarly like Atripla once a day.

11/02/2010  cd4-251, vl-591000
12/09/2010  started Atripla
02/18/2011  cd4-425, vl-800
06/10/2011  cd4-447, vl-70
10/10/2011  cd4-666, vl-80
01/05/2012  swiched med (prezista,norvir ,isentress, )
02/10/2012  cd4-733, vl-UD  Viread removed
06/10/2012  cd4-614, vl-UD
12/14/2012  cd4-764, vl-UD
09/01/2013  cd4-785, vl-UD
03/06/2014. cd4- 1078, VL-UD
09/05/2014  cd4-850 , VL-UD
09/05/2014 switched meds isentress, prezcobix -still only two antivirals
10/14/2015  cd4-600 , VL-UD

Offline hope_for_a_cure

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #19 on: April 05, 2011, 07:57:31 pm »
There was a time, when the good of humanity mattered, as was demonstrated by the company that developed the polio vaccine, when they allowed anyone to make it, because it was the right thing to do.

Its a shame that most folks running corporations today have lost touch with that mindset.  Altruistic thinking has no place at the Board of Directors table these days. 

Offline numbers

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #20 on: April 05, 2011, 09:51:33 pm »
Sorry to hear the bad news about the price increase!  I am in Canada and Truvada currently costs me $902 for 30 days, Norvir costs $67.  Maybe there should be more regulation to rein in drug company marketing, particularly with necessary life-saving medications like these, it's not like there is a choice or a lifestyle option!
Tested positive Feb. 2010 VL 181K CD4 161
Started Truvada, Prezista, and Norvir
Sept 2010 VL UD CD4 380
Jan 2011 VL UD CD4 450 I can sleep now thanks to Cipralex!
March 2011 VL UD CD4 490
September 2011 VL UD CD4 500

Offline mecch

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #21 on: April 06, 2011, 03:55:45 am »
Prices of these name brand drugs from big pharma differ depending on the region and the country. It seems that nations with universal coverage can negotiate discounts whereas rich nations with private insurance - the companies have more power to get what they can. 

I bet the people who hold stock in the private insurance companies are often the same people who hold stock in the pharma companies.   :(

Pharma gets away with some of the highest set prices in Switzerland. Because every company gets away with huge prices in Switzerland on so many many products.  But salaries are higher than in other rich countries. There is an enormous fear of "salarial dumping" here cause if this equilibrium breaks, its all going to come crumbling down.

I seem to recall that Obama gave garantees to pharma that the government wasn't going to get into negotiations about price - as a trade for getting Obama care moving forward. 
“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Offline woodshere

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #22 on: April 06, 2011, 09:05:09 am »
Oh come now, obviously Gilead had to raise prices so that they could pay to bring us PSA'a about living out, proud and poz that air when watching RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 online.  I mean I am all for paying more for my drugs in order that the highlight of my Tuesday evening, watching RuPaul's competition show and the untucked companion show to each challenge, continues!!!!
"Let us give pubicity to HV/AIDS and not hide it..." "One of the things destroying people with AIDS is the stigma we attach to it."   Nelson Mandela

Offline Sweet_C

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Re: Gilead Raises Drug Prices
« Reply #23 on: April 06, 2011, 01:05:06 pm »
Oh come now, obviously Gilead had to raise prices so that they could pay to bring us PSA'a about living out, proud and poz that air when watching RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 online.  I mean I am all for paying more for my drugs in order that the highlight of my Tuesday evening, watching RuPaul's competition show and the untucked companion show to each challenge, continues!!!!

LOL.  I've just discovered this show.  I love it!!!
Tested positive on September 11, 2008

 


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