Updated on 1 July 2015
One tablet will cost Tk 600 in Bangladesh, and the total cost of the therapy would be Tk 50,400 for a 12-week course compared to the whooping Tk 67 lakh in developed countries. Singapore: Bangladesh drug major Beximco pharmaceuticals recently announced the launch of the generic version of the wonder drug Sofosbuvir for treating hepatitis C under the brand name Sofovir C.
The drug considered as a boon to hepatitis C patients was initially produced by Gilead Sciences under its brand Sovaldi. Touted as one of the most expensive medicines, the drug costs $1,000 per tablet in the developed market. The medicine was first launched in Bangladesh by local drugmaker, Incepta Pharmaceuticals.
"We are proud to have played a role in introducing this breakthrough therapy at a price which is currently the lowest in the world. It will be sold as a prescription-only medicine, and will be distributed through our own distribution channel and will not be available in retail outlets, " said, Mr Nazmul Hassan, managing director of Beximco Pharma.
Globally, it is estimated that 170-185 million people, about 3 percent of the world's population, are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. In Bangladesh, hepatitis C emerges as a major health problem with nearly two million patients estimated to be infected with this virus, Beximco said in the statement.
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