Quest Introduces Tests for Efficacy of New Hepatitis C Drugs
Quest Diagnostics has launched some companion tests designed specifically to take advantage of what has become a rapidly mushrooming market for treating patients with hepatitis C. The New Jersey-based Quest has launched tests that would enable physicians to determine the compatibility of the patient with two new drugs used to treat the virus: Zepatier, which is manufactured by Merck, and Daklinza, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Both drugs, which focus on various genotypes of hepatitis C, represent new fronts not only in the fight against the disease, which was curable only by a liver transplant just a couple of years ago, but as ways to keep the cost of treating the disease in check. Sovaldi, the first drug brought to market to cure the disease, costs about $84,000 for a regimen. Harvoni, another drug, costs nearly $100,000. The cost has raised concerns that many Americans living with hepatitis C would never receive appropriate treatment. By contrast, Zepatier costs about $55,000 for a regimen, while Daklinza costs about $63,000, although the latter often must be prescribed in conjunction with Sovaldi. “These new Quest services underscore the value of diagnostics to advance precision medicine,” said Rick L. Pesano, M.D., Quest’s vice president of […]
Quest Diagnostics has launched some companion tests designed specifically to take advantage of what has become a rapidly mushrooming market for treating patients with hepatitis C.
The New Jersey-based Quest has launched tests that would enable physicians to determine the compatibility of the patient with two new drugs used to treat the virus: Zepatier, which is manufactured by Merck, and Daklinza, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Both drugs, which focus on various genotypes of hepatitis C, represent new fronts not only in the fight against the disease, which was curable only by a liver transplant just a couple of years ago, but as ways to keep the cost of treating the disease in check.
Sovaldi, the first drug brought to market to cure the disease, costs about $84,000 for a regimen. Harvoni, another drug, costs nearly $100,000. The cost has raised concerns that many Americans living with hepatitis C would never receive appropriate treatment.
By contrast, Zepatier costs about $55,000 for a regimen, while Daklinza costs about $63,000, although the latter often must be prescribed in conjunction with Sovaldi.
“These new Quest services underscore the value of diagnostics to advance precision medicine,” said Rick L. Pesano, M.D., Quest’s vice president of research and development in a statement. “Our new offerings can help improve health care quality and cost savings using specialty pharmaceuticals for an infectious disease that is highly prevalent yet curable when treated appropriately. With insight the physician can better determine if the patient will not benefit from, or develops resistance to, an NS5A inhibitor, so an alternative treatment can be prescribed more quickly.”
Having a test readily available that could save tens of thousands of dollars in treating a hepatitis C patient could prove invaluable to providers. A Quest spokesperson did not respond to email and telephone requests for comment.
It is unknown if Quest’s major competitor, LabCorp, also offers similar tests. A company spokesperson did not respond to a request seeking comment.
Takeaway: Quest Diagnostics is trying to capitalize on the rapidly growing hepatitis C treatment market by introducing specific companion tests.
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