Gilead's HIV prevention drug Descovy should cost half as much as its current list price to be cost effective, researchers argued in a study published March 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Descovy is similar to Gilead's other HIV prevention drug, Truvada, which was approved in 2012. A clinical trial showed Descovy had a small but significant improvement in bone and kidney safety over Truvada, but the clinical significance of that study has been the subject of debate, STAT reported.
Descovy is priced at $16,600 per year, but the study argued that to match its effectiveness, it should cost no more than $8,670.
Researchers argue that physicians switching to Descovy might limit access to HIV prevention drugs and boost HIV transmission because of the cost, according to STAT.
Gilead argued that the methodology of the study was flawed because it didn't account for a study that demonstrated lower bone and renal risks for Descovy.
The drugmaker also told STAT price isn't a barrier to access for patients because Gilead has a patient assistance program that is based on patients' income and because it has agreed to donate 2.4 million bottles of Descovy to cover 200,000 patients annually.
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