Bitter bill to swallow

A lawsuit has been filed against Gilead Sciences, the company behind the now-infamous hepatitis C drug that costs about $1,000 per pill—Sovaldi.

The lawsuit, filed on Dec. 9 by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), alleges that the exorbitant pricing violates federal antitrust laws, according to California Healthline. SEPTA said it’s paid more than $2.4 million for Sovaldi treatments for its employees and argues that Gilead’s “limited rights as a patent holder do not translate into a license to price gouge consumers.” Along with an unspecified amount of monetary damages, the lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of U.S. residents and third-party payers who have either purchased Sovaldi or have been unable to due to cost.

An estimated 3 million Americans live with chronic hepatitis C, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.