Who will pay for the 12-24 week oral treatment? Oh right, "Obamacare" will I guess :)
Quote: "Between 3 million and 4 million Americans are estimated to carry the blood-borne virus"
So: lower end cost will be about USD 252000000000 - to treat 3 million for 12 weeks and upper end cost will be USD 672000000000 - to treat 4 million for 24 weeks. Now thats not much short of a trillion (US) dollars. And that's just for the US of A, which is GodZone country (just like Oz). No hope for the third worlders I guess.
What happens to the efficacy of the oral treatment if a few (or more than a few) doses are missed along the way - could happen.
Nice bag of side effects coupled with multiple drug rx in a population group that has already demonstrated impulsive behaviour in many instances. So you will get more impulsive behaviour in many of those offered the oral therapy. To wit: "I'm stopping these (insert expletive here) drugs." As Samuel Clemens supposedly said, "denial ain't (just) a river in Eygpt." And yes, each time we have someone demonstrate such impulsive behaviour that's something between $x and $168000 down the gurgler. No doubt yet another example of your tax-payers money at work.
Comparing the above with a single shot treatment with minimal (if any) side-effects = no contest (although still little hope for the third worlders.)
BLT Price at posting:
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