Demand for $84,000 hepatitis C drug slows

Health care providers may be waiting for other, soon-to-be-released drugs to treat hepatitis C. Also, an Indian pharmaceutical company faces Justice Department questions on pricing data for Medicaid.

The Washington Post's Wonkblog: The New $84,000 Hepatitis C Treatment Is Losing Momentum, For Now
After recording the best launch of any drug in history, it looks like the pace is starting to slow down for Gilead Sciences' Sovaldi -- the new $84,000 hepatitis C cure that's sparking a new focus on specialty drug costs. Data released by CVS Health on Tuesday show that use of Sovaldi has slowed down since May after the drug's record-setting start last December. The slowdown can partly be explained by the health-care industry's anticipation of more hepatitis C treatments soon hitting the market, including another one from Gilead that could gain FDA approval any day now (Millman, 9/18).

Bloomberg: Indian Pharmaceutical Drug Prices Questioned By Justice Department
Indian generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. (RBXY) was questioned by the U.S. Department of Justice on how it reports pricing data for medicines it sells through Medicaid, the U.S. health program for the poor. The Justice Department has requested documents and information through what is called a civil investigative demand. The inquiry doesn't allege wrongdoing or propose a fine, the Gurgaon, India-based company said in a statement today. Ranbaxy said it would cooperate. Ranbaxy is being bought by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. It has been hurt by import bans on four of its Indian facilities and increased regulatory costs. This year it also received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey requesting documents related to its banned ingredient factory in Toansa (Gokhale, 9/17

The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: Ranbaxy Faces Medicaid Pricing Probe By The Justice Department
Manufacturing woes are not the only issue plaguing Ranbaxy Laboratories. The generic drug maker has been asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide documents on pricing data provided to Medicaid, according to a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (Silverman, 9/18).