Hepatitis C: Doctors of the World opposes patent for sofosbuvir

Doctors of the World – Médecins du Monde is today filing  its opposition to the patent granted for sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) with the European Patent Office (EPO).

The pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. is marketing a 12-week treatment of sofosbivir at the exorbitant price of £33,000 in the United Kingdom, hindering many people’s access to the drug. 

Opposition to a patent is a legal recourse by which the validity of a patent may be challenged and which, if successful, may encourage competition from generic versions of sofosbuvir, which can be produced for as little as £66.

As Gilead is abusing its patent to impose prices that are unsustainable for healthcare systems, Doctors of the World has decided to contest it: the first time in Europe that a medical charity has employed this method to improve patient access to drugs. 

While using sofosbuvir to treat hepatitis C represents a major therapeutic advance, Doctors of the World contends that the molecule itself, which is the result of work by many public and private researchers, is not sufficiently innovative to warrant a patent.

“We are defending universal access to healthcare: the struggle against health inequality involves safeguarding a healthcare system based on solidarity,” explains Dr Jean-François Corty, Doctors of the World’s French Programmes Director. “Even in a ‘rich’ country such as France, with an annual drugs budget of 27 billion euros, it’s hard to meet this cost and already we’re seeing an arbitrary rationing approach that excludes patients from care.”

According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 130 to 150 million people are chronic carriers of hepatitis C globally. Within the EU, between 7.3 and 8.8 million people are believed to be infected. In the UK, 215,000 people are estimated to have chronic hepatitis C, which can lead to liver cancer, liver cirrhosis and liver failure. 

“Opposition to a patent has already been used by civil society in India and Brazil to get improperly granted patents for drugs revoked and to make generic versions available,” says Olivier Maguet, Doctors of the World spokesperson for hepatitis C. “This has led to a discernible drop in the cost of treatments and to patients being treated who would otherwise not have had the chance.”   

Doctors of the World is taking up the fight to promote universal access to treatment for hepatitis C in Europe and the rest of the world. We are also launching a public debate on drug price-fixing and its impact on healthcare systems. 

For more information on improving access to hepatitis C treatments and on Doctors of the World’s positioning: oppositionaubrevet.medecinsdumonde.org