MARKET ANALYSIS OF NEW-GENERATION MEDICINES FOR HEPATITIS C

Nowadays we live in the society of information. Lots of different news appears every day in the media, but only a few of them stay for a certain period before becoming obsolete or so exploited that society loses interest in them. Since the second semester of 2014 in Spain, there is a topic that appears very often due to the controversy that surrounds it. I’m talking about hepatitis C and the new-generation medicines to treat it. But, what is going on? For most of the population, who have never had any contact with this disease, news can be confusing and lead to misunderstandings. This report intends to reflect the current situation of the market of medicines for hepatitis C and analyze the facts that have occurred under an economic point of view. This issue came into the front page due to the activist actions of the patients of hepatitis C, who have been carrying demonstrations and strikes in many cities of Spain. Why? The old medicines are not good enough, and the new (good) ones are not being supplied (at least, not for everyone). While hepatitis C attacks the liver of the infected, the new medicines have become a headache for the Government. What are the drivers of consumers’ behavior? How can we explain their attitude towards the new situation? How should the Governments face this problem? What can they do? Why is the industry acting the way they are doing? From now on, all these questions will be presented and analyzed, with the intention of explaining and making clear to everyone all the news that are presented in the media.