We paid for it already

[scratchinghead]

Someone in a government organization that tracks HCV in people told me that this latest slew of treatments by Gilead were paid for by government grants. Initially federally funded chemists developed these solutions, then formed a company, then got bought out by Gilead. This is so general a description that I hope someone else can make it sound more credible. Sure is incredible if this is true.

[keepingOnkeepingOn]

So Gilead is double dipping? Huh?

[scratchinghead]

It is easy to find literature about how Pharmasset did the R&D on their own, but it a little more buried, as though it was not meant to be found is the public record of three federal grants they got to develop Sofubuvir. National Institute of Health subsequently paid for clinical trials.

$162,200 in 2002 + $175,000 in 2003 + $175,260 in 2003 = a great business model, where you get the tax payer to assume the risk of development. Then you say you have to re-coup your development costs. And then you move your base of operations to Ireland to avoid paying U.S.A. taxes.

MODIFIED NUCLEOSIDES FOR HEPATITIS C VIRUS
http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/269216

Novel Class of Compounds for Treatment of HCV Infections
http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/269218

DIOXOLANE NUCLEOSIDES AS ANTIVIRAL AGENTS
http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/269220

I assume they got additional support before 2002 or after 2003, but I couldn’t find it. I found evidence that some of their pre-2002 basic science was adopted from work funded by the German government.

[patra_]

Someone needs to and on the Forum, we all try to help by sharing any knowledge we gather from all sorts od sources.  

Educate yourself on the things like Support Path, and the Pan Foundation and other such sources.  

Go to hepc.com (an AbbVie site) and look at the support resources subhead.

Find out about free clinics/low pay clinics through the US Dept of Health website.

Armed with that knowledge and websites, you will become a strong advocate!

Good Luck and good helping those who need it most.  Pat

[scratchinghead]

I figured starting a small fire would warm this forum up a little.
I have good enough insurance to pay for new stuff.
But I always worry about the little guy.

[hepcandme]

Oh, I'm not complaining about Gilead. They are the knights in shining armor.

Just saying how drugs get to market. And sadly, at least in the US government and in academe, data sits on shelves a lot

I think saving just one life is worth 7 billion dollars

[fretboard]

Got that right!  Also, alot more lives will be saved by the drugs Gilead makes.  Sure, Gilead drugs cost a ton but who else has them?  None of the other big Pharma drug manufacturers have come up with drugs like Gilead has.  At least, none have been approved yet.  I hear Abbvie has something that's in the works, time will tell.  

[keepingOnkeepingOn]

The $180,000 that it cost for the meds is a paltry amount compared to saving my life.

[hepcandme]

The government is not in the business of funding drug production but do give a paltry amount in the form of research grants

Big Pharma, however, loves to make money and your estimates for Gilead from Sovaldi can be easily tripled and is expected to top 7 billion dollars by the end of the year:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102119516#.

They will also make a mint on Harvoni.

This is the way it works. If poor, hardworking scientists who came up with the formula for Sovaldi were to just turn it over to the government, nothing would ever happen to the "cure" as it would sit on government shelves for years.

At least the big companies have incentives (shareholders) and there are lobbyists and patients' groups who pressure them to bring the drugs to market

[Dee1956]

Hey there, this is really interesting, it is possible but I would think that anyone that is federally funded would have to hand over the patent to the government.  I know that the government does work with research companies and there are grants.  I am going to try to find more information.
Thanks for the interesting thought :)

[fretboard]

No that's not how Gilead started but another California company did, I think it was Genentech.  Scientists at Gilead have been working for years on the creation of Harvoni and other drugs as well.  Gilead is a huge corporation and they definitely don't need to apply for grants to get their ideas off the ground.  They have been at the forefront of HIV drugs since the beginning and branched off years ago to study and invent drugs for HepC.  Since then they have acquired some of the top chemists from all over the world including stealing some of them with better pay from other top Pharma companies.  Capitalism at it's best. lol  

[Livelife777]

Many scientific discoveries were spearheaded by individuals and then bought out by major company's.  Grants have often been given by our government as they typically have an allotment set aside for certain diseases.  I would imagine that big Pharma got involved as the known potential earnings would sky rocket as new technology evolved.
I'm really not surprised that Gilead jumped on board as this year alone I believe they've reached the billion dollar mark.  My only comment would be that I'm sure glad they did.  It's about time Hep C has been focused on enough to create change regardless the beneficiary.  
.....Kim