U.S buys the largest stock for Remdesivir Drug

U.S buys the largest stock for Remdesivir Drug

United States Of America buys a largest stock of Antiviral drug remdesivir which is widely used in the treatment of Novel Corona Virus which came in the limelight after W.H.O. limited the use of hydroxychloroquine.

                   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 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.

Buying up the world’s supply of remdesivir is not just a reaction to the increasing spread and death toll. The US has taken an “America first” attitude throughout the global pandemic. Stock of some 500,000 treatment courses which means the other countries have to face the drug shortage for atleast 3 months

GILEAD SCIENCES

 Gilead’s projected production for July (94,200 treatment courses), 90 percent of production in August (174,900 treatment courses), and 90 percent of production inSeptember (232,800 treatment courses), in addition to an allocation for clinical trials. Gilead said 90% of the drug is committed to the US for this period.

Gilead has voluntary licensing agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers based in Egypt, India and Pakistan to further expand supply of remdesivir. The agreements allow the companies—including Cipla Ltd., Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., and Mylan, among others—to manufacture remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries. The countries consist of nearly all low-income and lower-middle income countries.  However, these agreements would preclude distribution of the generic in many other countries, including Brazil, Peru, Russia⁠, China, Japan, Mexico and many European nations, even though many of them are struggling with Covid-19.

Gilead has come under considerable criticism for its pricing of remdesivir as well. They plan to charge insurers (including Medicare and Medicaid) $3120 for the five days of treatment and $2,340 for governments. Yet the drug was largely developed by US research agencies—the CDC and the USAMRIID (US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases). The federal government has already spent more than $70 million of its taxpayer’s money to help in remdesivir’s development.