France said Thursday it has joined forces with 13 other European countries to negotiate a lower price for a promising new hepatitis C drug that has drawn controversy for its astronomical cost. Sovaldi, made by US pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences, has shown huge potential at helping cure the liver disease but its price -- more than 50,000 euros ($68,000) for a 12-week course of treatment -- has health authorities concerned. "If we accept such a high price, firstly we won't be able to treat everyone and we will also be creating a risk for our social security system, which means for other patients," French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said Thursday. "So I launched an initiative... to mobilise all European countries and make sure we join forces to weigh on price negotiations with this US laboratory.
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