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:
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: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Sunday July 05 2020, @11:53PM (7 children)
Another thing the US could have done is buy the drug IP outright and then have global generics manufacturers produce vast quantities of the drug - I bet there's some Indian manufacturers who could cut more than an order of magnitude off that price and produce a lot more treatments at the same time.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @12:11AM
> Who will get that?
Rich people.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @12:13AM (1 child)
"Another thing the US could have done is buy the drug IP outright and then have global generics manufacturers produce vast quantities of the drug"
That's exactly what the US should have done. Get it together, align others to follow, and tell the whole world:
"We got this. Come to papa. We've got yo back."
Instead, we have Trump.
#MAGA
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday July 06 2020, @01:37AM
With both India [newindianexpress.com] and China [time.com] producing it, there are some interesting photo opp for a "world savior" pose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Monday July 06 2020, @02:19AM
Which will be needed for those in the ICU only.
It's not like taking an OTC aspirin, this stuff is nasty to one's liver [wikipedia.org].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by EETech1 on Monday July 06 2020, @06:01AM
Right!
Half a million treatments...
Gone in a week!
Then someone will be complaining about other countries not selling it to the USA.
(Score: 2) by Teckla on Monday July 06 2020, @01:15PM (1 child)
By making it out of 90% ground up house plants?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 06 2020, @03:12PM
You're an idiot [ft.com]