Russia discussing the possibility of producing generic Sovaldi with Gilead

The Russian Ministry of Health plans to initiate talks with US biotech major Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) on beginning production of generic versions of its sofosbuvir, marketed as Sovaldi, which is a drug for the treatment of hepatitis C, that was included in the list of vital and essential medicines in Russia for 2019, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

Currently sofosbuvir remains one of the most efficient and probably most expensive drug for the treatment of hepatitis, available in the Russian market. According to the Russian Ministry of Health, the average cost of one 12-week course is more than 705,000 roubles ($10,368).

The proposed price of the drug does not fit into the state budget, which forces the Russian government to consider the possibility of establishing producing generics of the drug in Russia.