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posted by martyb on Sunday July 05 2020, @09:50PM   Printer-friendly
from the all-mine dept.

US Secures World Stock of Key Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir

US Secures World Stock of Key Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir:

No other country will be able to buy remdesivir, which can help recovery from Covid-19, for next three months at least

The US has bought up virtually all the stocks for the next three months of one of the two drugs proven to work against Covid-19, leaving none for the UK, Europe or most of the rest of the world.

Experts and campaigners are alarmed both by the US unilateral action on remdesivir and the wider implications, for instance in the event of a vaccine becoming available. The Trump administration has already shown that it is prepared to outbid and outmanoeuvre all other countries to secure the medical supplies it needs for the US.

“They’ve got access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir], so there’s nothing for Europe,” said Dr Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University.

Remdesivir, the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat Covid-19, is made by Gilead and has been shown to help people recover faster from the disease. The first 140,000 doses, supplied to drug trials around the world, have been used up. The Trump administration has now bought more than 500,000 doses, which is all of Gilead’s production for July and 90% of August and September.

US to buy 500,000 Remdesivir Coronavirus Treatment Courses at $2,340 Each

US to buy 500,000 remdesivir coronavirus treatment courses at $2,340 each:

The US Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to buy 500,000 remdesivir treatment courses, in the wake of clinical trials revealing the drug can help patients recover more quickly from the coronavirus. A five-day course will cost $2,340,or $3,120 for commercially insured patients, biotech firm Gilead Sciences said.

Early last month, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for remdesivir to be used in cases of COVID-19 when patients were "hospitalized with severe disease," shortly after the drug showed "clear-cut positive effect" in a US trial.

[...] "To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a release.

[...] Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day addressed the higher price for private insurers, according to health site Stat, by noting that there are "always two prices" for a drug in the US. In an open letter, he acknowledged that the company's work on remdesivir is "far from done."

[...] He also said that countries in the developing world will get the drug at greatly reduced prices, through generic manufacturers.


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 05 2020, @10:39PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 05 2020, @10:39PM (#1016681)

    We had it too good. After WWII, we became too entitled. We became too stupid, because we still were able to make a decent living, even when dumb as rock.

    Look at this parent clown - bought the big pharma's propaganda despite them spending majority of their money on marketing and lawyering rather than R&D, not to mention ignoring anything, however promising, unpatentable/cure - unpatentable (based on traditional medicine) won't give them monopoly, cure will be one-time shot and end of revenue stream.

    Ramik might be a secret Chicom agent.

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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @01:56AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @01:56AM (#1016778)

    The only ones who did worse were everyone. I challenge you to imagine what goes on in other countries that makes them SO SHIT.

    • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @08:18PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @08:18PM (#1017286)

      imagine what goes on in other countries that makes them SO SHIT.

      Is it the American soldiers killing civilians? Is it the American corporations looting resources? Is it American-forced privatization making schools and water inaccessible to children? Is it a recent history of local warlord violence because of American-induced political instability? Is it American notions of patents which stop effective medicines from being cheaply produced? Hmm?

  • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Monday July 06 2020, @07:26PM (3 children)

    by RamiK (1813) on Monday July 06 2020, @07:26PM (#1017252)

    bought the big pharma's propaganda despite them spending majority of their money on marketing

    I explicitly stated it's a "rare case" because 99% of the time trickle-down economics is a market and social failure, especially when it comes to US pharmaceuticals, insurance and/or patents/copyrights.

    The first thing you're missing is that the drug is available in generic form so this is a tax-on-fools. The second thing you're missing is the impression it conveys to foreign nations is that the US will cut them off medicine/medical patents given the chance so they HAVE to invest in generics and R&D and limit the transfer of pharma IP and stocks to foreign nations which will, in turn, force the US pharma to start investing in R&D themselves or fall behind.

    That is, where trickle-down economics usually fail the market, national interests during a scarcity crisis can bring-forth an exception.

    Ramik might be a secret Chicom agent.

    What's the pay? Do I get dental? If shit-posting in obscure sites on boring topics pays the bills, sign me up! Hail glorious leader! Hail #insertYourNameHereForOnly99Cents!

    --
    compiling...
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @11:18PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @11:18PM (#1017387)

      "#insertYourNameHereForOnly99Cents!"

      Liar. Everyone knows they pay you 50 cents per post.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday July 07 2020, @12:32AM (1 child)

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday July 07 2020, @12:32AM (#1017430) Journal

      This reminds me of Churchill's comment about how Americans will do the right thing after trying absolutely everything else first...and a number of observations about stopped clocks.

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...