The battle over access to the new hepatitis C drug, Gilead’s sofosbuvir (and similar drugs coming along behind) is hotting up. Gilead has agreed to grant voluntary licences to eleven Indian generic companies, which means the drug will be sold at a reduced price in low-income countries. There are no licences for generic companies in middle-income countries, such as China, Thailand, Ukraine, Iran, the Philippines, Argentina and Brazil. The generic companies can bring the price of a cure - because that’s what these drugs offer - right down. Two Indian generic companies have pitched prices so far at just under $1000 for a 12 week course of treatment, which is around $12 a day.