Gilead Sciences in its second-quarter report for 2017 reported that its sales of direct-acting antivirals for HCV were down about 25 percent from the same period last year (2.9 billion, compared with 4 billion). Does this mean that fewer cases of HCV are being treated, or does it mean the prices of antivirals are going down?

It’s hard to compare the prices because the company is secretive about its negotiations with insurance companies and governments. When the drugs were first on the market, wealthy patients were shelling out upwards of $100,000 for the drugs. Now, except for uninsured people or those on Medicare or Medicaid, Gilead is advertising a $5 bargain price for the drugs. Considering the exclusions, that doesn’t seem like charity, but it may be keeping Gilead’s cash coffers down.

As for the numbers of people being treated, the latest report from the World Hepatitis Alliance shows they’ve more than doubled since 2013, when 440,000 people were treated, mainly with interferon.