Pamela Anderson And Hepatitis C: Which Drug Makers Are Working On A Cure?
Ex-"Baywatch" actress Pamela Anderson announced via that she has been cured of Hepatitis C.
Anderson contracted the disease 16 years ago when she shared a tattoo needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee.
Several of the largest biotech names are engaged in research in fighting the disease.
Hepatitis is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus. Chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis. In some cases, the disease can progress to liver failure, liver cancer, or life-threatening esophageal and gastric varices.
Anderson reportedly contracted Hepatitis C in 2002 after she shared a tattoo needle with her ex-husband Tommy Lee.
The disease and potential cures has been brought into the national spotlight after activists, politicians, and short-sellers questioned drug makers pricing policies.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) announced it will charge $1,000 per pill for its Hepatitis C cure (Sovaldi) earlier this summer. The company said that the price is justified given the large overhead in research and development.
that critics of the high price suggested the company is "raking in obscene profits" given its "indefensibly high price."
Anderson credited her recovery was possible due to a "new miracle drug," according to The publication didn't specify the kind of treatment the actress received.
Other large biotechnology firms are also active in curing hepatitis C.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE: BMY) announced in July that Daklinza, an NS5A replication complex inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA. The approval marks the first time patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 have a 12-week, once-daily, all-oral treatment option.
"We believe this Daklinza-based regimen may be a solution to improving the standard of care for these patients. This approval is the result of many years of partnership with the HCV community to address the complexities of genotype 3, and an important achievement in our ongoing Daklinzadevelopment program, which focuses on patients that are most challenging to treat," Bristol-Myer Squibb's Head of US Commercial Chris Boerner said in a .
According to , 400 million people worldwide are believed to be living with Hepatitis B or C, and treatment can become expensive. The report also cited the high cost of Gilead's treatment, Sovaldi, that when combined with other treatments can bring the total cost to an estimated $150,000 per patient.
"Sovaldi is the canary in the coal-mine, alerting all of us that disaster is coming unless something is done to prevent it," John Rother, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Health Caret, said in a . "Unfortunately, the problem is far bigger than one drug — we are talking about a tsunami of expensive medicines that could literally bankrupt the health care system."
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