Washington Awards AbbVie Nation’s Second ‘Netflix’ Hep-C Contract

Washington state regulators have awarded AbbVie an exclusive contract to help the state rid itself of Hepatitis C within the next decade—the nation’s second state to adopt a subscription payment model.

The specific terms of the deal were not disclosed but the state offered a set price for a volume of patients to be treated with AbbVie’s Mavyret (glecapravir/pibrentasvir). Once the patient cap has been reached, Washington will continue to pay for new treatments but at a sharply discounted rate.

Proponents say the subscription-style procurement gives drug companies every incentive to maximize treatment at maximum speed so that they can earn as much from the flat fee as possible.