Story highlights Jeff Miller: Drugmaker charging VA upward of $40,000 per patient to treat hepatitis C

Miller calls price outrageous, especially since the company charges Egyptians far less

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, is the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) In America, honoring our veterans comes second nature to most citizens. That's because the overwhelming majority of our people understand that, if not for the service and sacrifice of those who have worn the uniform, the United States would not be the extraordinary place it is today.

Unfortunately, this concept seems lost on the people at drugmaker Gilead Sciences.

Jeff Miller

The company is the maker of the hepatitis drug sofosbuvir, which can potentially cure hepatitis C, a chronic liver disease that affects about 3.2 million Americans, including nearly 200,000 veterans. The fact that Gilead is making this landmark medication available to consumers is an overwhelmingly positive development that deserves recognition.

But the way in which the company is picking and choosing who gets affordable access to the drug deserves condemnation.

Sofosbuvir doesn't come cheap -- that is, unless you live in countries such as Egypt, where Gilead is making the drug available for around $900 for the full 12-week regimen

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