NHS England finalises procurement to eliminate hepatitis C

After lengthy negotiations and a court battle,1 NHS England has reached agreement with three drug companies to supply drugs to eliminate hepatitis C.

The procurement, said to be the largest ever negotiated by the NHS, was complex because it set out to acquire treatments on the best possible terms for the NHS while avoiding the “winner takes all” approach based simply on price. The aim was to provide certainty so that the companies could plan several years ahead.

NHS England also wanted the companies to help find patients, many of whom might not even realise they carry hepatitis C. More than two thirds of the estimated 160 000 people infected with the virus don’t currently have a diagnosis.

A further complication was that of the three companies—Gilead Sciences, Merck Sharp and …