[makomk]

The Hep C cure wasn't all that profitable, from what I understand. On paper it was a clear win-win - the cure would save the various healthcare services lots of money compared with treatment, whilst still raking in boatloads of money. The trouble is that healthcare services everywhere balked at buying it regardless of their structure and despite the fact that not doing so would cost them money in the long term, and even at those rejected prices it wouldn't have been nearly as profitable as a long-term ongoing treatment because it eliminates its own customer base.

[refurb]

The hepatitis C cures was massively profitable. Gilead paid $11B for Pharmasset’s portfolio and everyone said they were dumb.

They then had sales of $10.4B in the first year on the market. That’s one year and one drug (they’ve developed newer drugs and launched those too).