Billions in costs due to new hepatitis drug

Health insurance: billions of dollars for new hepatitis drug feared

08/06/2014

According to projections of the AOK Lower Saxony, the health insurance in Germany are billions of dollars by a new drug for hepatitis. Expenditure could add up to five billion euros per year.

At least one billion euros this year
The health insurance companies in Germany are, according to projections of the AOK Lower Saxony billions of dollars by a new drug for hepatitis. According to a news agency dpa, the drug marketed under the name of Sovaldi has already caused spending of 123 million euros since its launch in January and will cost the funds at least one billion euros by the end of the year. AOK boss Jürgen Peter said to the „Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung“ from Wednesday: „It must not be that a single drug, which is estimated to cost 100 euros for a treatment cycle, is billed at a price of 60,000 euros.“

Around 300,000 people in Germany with hepatitis C
According to the report, about 300,000 people in Germany suffer from hepatitis C. According to experts, around one third of the patients suffer from chronic liver disease, leading to severe liver damage. It is estimated that more than 170 million people worldwide are infected. The disease, for which there is no vaccine, is transmitted by blood. Often, some typical symptoms at the onset of the disease, such as fever, body aches, nausea, or fatigue, are perceived to be a suspected influenza infection. But if hepatitis is not treated, chronic liver inflammation, often seen through yellow eyes, is the result. Liver cancer can also result as a late consequence.

More than 700 euros for a tablet
According to the newspaper, the Joint Federal Committee in mid-July had certified the drug of the US pharmaceutical company Gilead against the vote of the health insurance companies a better effect than older drugs. A single tablet costs over 700 euros. The central association of health insurance companies expect therapy costs of an average of 50,000 to 115,000 euros per treatment. According to the AOK calculations, spending on all funds could add up to five billion euros annually. This represents about one fifth of the cost of all drugs on the market. (Ad)