What are the new questions regarding HIV treatment?
When it comes to hepatitis C, Gilead drugs Harvoni and Sovaldi have validated their value-based care. If faced with the options of spending $577,000 on a liver transplant or $94,500 on a course of Harvoni for hepatitis C, it’s a no brainer which option is more favorable. As medications have become more progressive, Gilead has also turned its sights onto the viral scourge of HIV, bringing to light several questions:
- Is a “cure” for HIV emerging?
- What will it cost?
- What does this mean for managed care and HIV executives?
How can we begin to answer these key questions?
The first step to getting answers is to know these four things:
- How good today’s “medicine” for HIV treatment has become
- What are the underutilized resources for prevention and how they can be tapped
- What is the long term view of HIV treatment from the perspective of PBMs and health plan administrators
- What would a cure in 10 years from now mean
“The gains made in the care of HIV patients in the past 10 years have been phenomenal. New drugs for HIV treatment continue to effectively support viral suppression with fewer side effects, including liver damage. Add simplicity in dosing and increasing favorability in costs and the progress becomes even more remarkable. Nevertheless, there are significant gains yet to be made in the care continuum while we await a true cure or vaccination for HIV.”
How does Curant Health help patients undergoing HIV treatment?
Curant Health has been improving outcomes and lives for patients needing HIV treatment for years. Our proven medication management protocols have been shown to increase the number of HIV patients whose viral loads are suppressed, or undetectable, by statistically significant amounts, including from 28% to 66% in a study published by the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits.
It goes without question that a cure for HIV would change the playing field for all parts of the healthcare spectrum. By knowing the state of HIV treatment, we can continue to implement the knowledge we have to improve outcomes and lives.
To read our latest article on the current state of HIV treatment, visit Managed Healthcare Executive.
To read our earlier post on advocating your way to effective hepatitis C and HIV treatment, click here.
If you'd like to know more about our HIV treatment programs, contact Kristin Lindsey at Curant Health.