In France the charity Medicins du Monde has just challenged Gilead’s patent on Sovaldi, because of the exorbitant of the drug. Meanwhile in the United States, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is suing Gilead over the drug’s $84,000 price tag. In India, where the patent office rejected Sovaldi because of its similarity to another compound, Gilead is the plaintiff in an appeal of that decision.

Meanwhile, other drugs are set to compete in the hep cure marketplace. One to keep an eye on is Achillion’s NS5A inhibitor. Combined with Sovaldi in a small trial last year, it cured 100% of patients in six weeks. The company is now looking at a 4-week trial. Granted, Gilead is still involved, but other competition from AbbVie, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck portend a very different playing field. There’s lots and lots more to come on this.