Clinical revolution and power. The case of the one thousand dollar pill

The CEU Health Research Group, the CEU Center for Policy Studies and

the Department of Health Economics, Corvinus University

 invite you to a presentation

CLINICAL REVOLUTION AND POWER. THE CASE OF THE ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR PILL

Piotr Ozieranski
Univerity of Bath

New antiviral medicines offer the possibility of eradicating Hepatitis C. However, the scale of the public health problem combined with high drug prices pose major challenges for public payers. This paper delves into the crucial case of the pricing and reimbursement of sofosbuvir (brand name – Sovaldi) to explore power dynamics of the English healthcare system. It demonstrates that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends sofosbuvir based on long-term cost-effectiveness, compared with treating worsening liver disease. But NHS England struggles to afford access for all Hepatitis C patients. Instead, it seeks to balance competing stakeholder interests and define priority groups. Clinicians, patients and the industry exert considerable pressure throughout the pricing and reimbursement process. These findings have important implications for the political sociology of pharmaceuticals and medical sociology. 

For more information please contact loblova_olga@phd.ceu.edu.