High costs threaten veterans' access to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi

WASHINGTON — A new drug holds the potential to cure hepatitis C in tens of thousands of veterans but will require billions in new spending to cover the cost, Department of Veterans Affairs officials told a Senate panel Wednesday.

The department has requested $1.3 billion from Congress to buy Sovaldi, a drug approved last year for the treatment of the potentially deadly liver disease. But the money will only buy treatment for about 30,000 infected vets while as many as 114,000 might need it, said David Ross, director of the VA’s HIV, hepatitis C, and public health pathogens programs.

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