Mounting optimism for the new hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) has increased shares of its maker Gilead Sciences by more than 3 percent, Market Watch reports. The jump places Gilead stocks on top of the S&P 500. Shares for the company are at their all-time high of $77.92. Experts say the all-oral, interferon-free cure could come to market earlier than expected. They estimate that Gilead will control 80 percent to 90 percent of the entire hep C market when Sovaldi enters the pipeline. In addition, AbbVie Inc., Gilead’s main hep C competitor, has indicated that it will not start a price war for HCV drugs when its triple combo enters later into the market.

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