PhRMA chief defends US prescription drug costs and value

The head of the US trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has issued a strong defence of the country’s drug costs, which comes in the wake of criticism of the high price of Gilead Sciences' new hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi (sofosbuvir).

PhRMA president and chief executive John Castellani said: “It is penny wise and pound foolish to focus solely on the price of a new medicine while completely ignoring the value it provides to patients and the health care system broadly.”