The Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences to supply the company's hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi at 1% of its original price, Minister of Health Adel Al-Adawy said. The health minister added that the cost of a 3-month treatment of Sovaldi abroad is $84,000, while in Egypt it will not exceed 1%. The drug will be offered to Egyptian patients who are being treated at the expense of the country and to those who have health insurance. The price of the drug will be around EGP 2,200, and will be available starting the last week in September, the minister indicated. Around 170,000 dose of treatment will be provided until the end of September and will reach 225,000 doses by February 2015. Al-Adawy stated that the drug will be provided through the 26 national treatment centres for hepatic viruses with the initial phase offering for 8 centres. He pointed out that the Sovaldi is offered in the United States "but the colour of the medication is different to differentiate between it and the one to be available in Egypt." Al-Adawy added that the company has made a production plan to produce the treatment for Egypt every six months. The clinical trials that were held in Egypt for the fourth gene prototype of the virus were successful in over 90% of cases.
