Gilead’s Patents on Hepatitis C Drug Challenged by Consumer Group
- Group says patents have blocked access to life-saving medicine
- Pricey hepatitis C treatment has been a top seller for Gilead
Hepatitis C Virus
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Gilead Sciences Inc.’s U.S. patents on the blockbuster $84,000 hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi were challenged by a consumer group that’s battled the drugmaker around the world over the pricing.
The Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge, a nonprofit focused on how patents affect access to medicine, said that it’s filed petitions with the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board seeking to challenge intellectual-property rights that would keep generic versions of Sovaldi from entering the market.