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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.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday July 05 2020, @11:00PM (13 children)
Blah blah. We'll see how it shakes out. It could very well wind up with Sweeden and the US laughing the next four or five rounds off owing to us having herd immunity while everyone else keeps filling coffins and fucking their economy to the point where more folks are starving to death there than dying of coronaids.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Mykl on Monday July 06 2020, @01:02AM (11 children)
You are aware that, absent a vaccine, herd immunity in this case means "Everyone who could die from this has already died", right?
How is the US in a better place having everyone already dead?
(Score: 4, Informative) by c0lo on Monday July 06 2020, @02:00AM (3 children)
Ummm... nope, we can't say that. For the time being, it may be like playing multiple rounds of Russian roullete.
Because, to date [theconversation.com], the longevity of the antibody response is still unknown, but it is known that antibodies to other coronaviruses wane over time [europa.eu].
Absent a vaccine, the best people can do is to try to mitigate the reaction to the illness. And there are long-term health risks following COVID-19 [racgp.org.au] (persistent pulmonary damage, post-viral fatigue and chronic cardiac complications).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday July 06 2020, @06:55AM (2 children)
It's truly horrible. People have lost limbs, and I'm sure worse if that's possible. I guess oxygen deprivation is a big factor.
Crikey, what's happening here? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53303317 [bbc.com]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Mykl on Monday July 06 2020, @08:13AM (1 child)
Yes, this really does suck.
Heads have already rolled on this one, and parts of Melbourne are now in various stages of lockdown. The rest of Australia is pretty much clear, so it's frustrating that we stuffed up our Quarantine procedures so badly here.
For context - our horror number was over 100 new cases in a day across the state of Victoria (population 6.6m) yesterday, so we are not quite at US levels yet!
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday July 06 2020, @04:56PM
I'm a USAian (if you didn't already guess) and I'm saddened, frustrated, disappointed, etc., seeing our news and huge numbers of people congregating on beaches, restaurants, etc., must (mostly) without masks. Stores that have been open throughout the pandemic have relaxed some of their rules, but continue to require masks and try to encourage "social distancing". Epidemiologist I talked to a week ago said masks really help, and if everyone wears masks, "social distancing" isn't as necessary. Also, total amount of exposure to infected person is a big factor. You could wear a mask and walk by someone who is infected but wearing a mask, and it's very unlikely you'll get infected.
Another disappointment: I'd love to see a much stronger world-wide effort in bio research and in support thereof. I could do a lot, but I don't see any media articles, nor job ads...
That's great news that you have such a low infection rate! Too many "Americans" are too free-spirited, "damn the torpedoes- full speed ahead" mentality.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @02:46AM
WE ARE THE CAPITALISTS
DEATH IS IRRELEVANT
LOWER YOUR MASKS AND SURRENDER YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE
(Score: 2, Disagree) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday July 06 2020, @04:04PM (5 children)
No, it does not. It means most everyone you come across is already immune and can not realistically give it to you even if you've never had it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @04:31PM (1 child)
Here I thought you cared about the science. We still don't know if people develop immunity or if they become asymptomatic carriers.
You're a death loving fuckwit Chad.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday July 07 2020, @01:14PM
Yes, we do. We ran a bloody story on it over a week ago right on this site. Retard.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday July 06 2020, @04:59PM
Uh, people who are asymptomatic and test negative most definitely can be carriers.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Mykl on Monday July 06 2020, @11:50PM (1 child)
You are correct, however in this case that means at least 95% or more of people would have to have caught it in order to 'already be immune'. As a result of that, anyone in that 95+% who was going to die, will die.
This is assuming that you can't catch it twice. The jury is still out on that [newscientist.com]
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday July 07 2020, @01:18PM
No, it's not. We ran a story just a little over a week ago giving much more recent information to the contrary.
And, no, you do not need 95% of the population to be immune to benefit from herd immunity, though we're likely to hit that soon enough.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @03:42AM
Sweden is in a better position to laugh. They didn't fuck up their economy at all, especially compared to what certain state and local leaders are still imposing on their subjects in the US.