GILD US, Sovaldi against Hepatitis C, LT BUY extreme potentialin at 82 catching early move, still must have
Since December 2013 Sovaldi is available in the US and
since January 2014 in some European countries while
approvals in various significant markets are still pending.
Based on its medical importance, I expect more
launches in due time. Medicare (US national social
insurance program) projects costs of USD 6.5bn in 2015
related to Sovaldi (US only).
Until recently, Hepatitis C patients have been treated
with a combination of injections and the effect was only
to stabilize the disease but not to heal it. In addition,
side effects were significant. Sovaldi can be applied in
the much easier form of pills. Furthermore, Sovaldi can
completely cure Hepatitis C within weeks, as results have
shown.
The Swiss Department of Health assumes that 1% of total
population is infected with the Hepatitis C virus, thus
approximately 80’000 people in Switzerland. Extrapolated,
Europe would have 7.5m potential patients and worldwide
there will be 80m potential patients. Costs of treatment
are currently USD 84’000 per patient (in the US). Enormous growth potential here.
