Medicaid Restrictions on Gilead’s Sovaldi Illegal, Should Be Lifted, Study Says

State Medicaid plan restrictions that prevent patient access to the hepatitis C drug Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) may be illegal, according to a study released June 30.

The overwhelming majority of states restrict access to Sovaldi for people who inject drugs, for those receiving drug dependency treatment and for alcoholics. According to the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the restrictions may violate federal Medicaid law, which requires states to cover drugs consistent with their Food and Drug Administration labels. None of the restrictions on coverage “seem to meet the criteria for permissible restrictions,” study researchers concluded.

Sovaldi, the brand-name ...