Gilead unit in deal for generic Epclusa with USA's State of Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Health and Department of Corrections has selected Asegua Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD), as its hepatitis C “Netflix” subscription model pharmaceutical partner, to provide the State with unrestricted access to its direct-acting antiviral medication.

The Departments will now establish a contract with Asegua to make its authorized generic of Epclusa (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir tablets) available to hepatitis C patients enrolled in Medicaid and to treat incarcerated patients over the next five years.

Established in September last year, Asegua was planning to offer a list price of $24,000 for the most common course of therapy with Epclusa. Asegua’s copy product became the first authorized alternative managed through the Express Scripts National Preferred Flex Formulary last November.