For hepatitis C patients, new drugs introduced in the past two years offer a cure that’s miraculous when compared with former treatments for the potentially fatal virus.

Instead of taking a long course of drugs with miserable side effects, patients can be cured in a matter of weeks. The drugs could change the lives of millions of people – at a price.

One of the drugs, Sovaldi, cost $1,000 a pill when it went on the market in the United States in late 2013. Another drug called Harvoni, made by the same manufacturer, had a list price of $1,125 per pill when it debuted last fall. A typical 12-week course of treatment with Harvoni would cost $94,500 at that price.

The cost of these new hepatitis drugs has inflamed debate about whether pharmaceutical companies are charging outlandish amounts to treat life-threatening diseases and has prompted legislative efforts this year to rein in drug costs.