X

U.S. Owns Patent Rights To Remdesivir, But Is Content To Let Gilead Jack Up Prices

"I think that we need more companies making it, so we have enough drug for the people who need it and so that the price can be driven down so that people can afford it," Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.

On CNN's New Day, John Berman asked Dr. Rochelle Walensky, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General, what she's hearing from colleagues in Texas about getting an adequate supply of remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients.

"I certainly am," she said.

"I see three problems with remdesivir right now. One is, a single manufacturer is making it, Gilead. Two, it is that we are going to run out. I think you can't look at the number of cases that are happening right now and not anticipate a shortage. And three, last week, it was priced at over $3,000 for a five-day course for a drug that we know costs $6 for a five-day course to make.

"So HHS has the power and the patent rights to this drug. I think we need generic competition. I think that we need more companies making it, so we have enough drug for the people who need it and so that the price can be driven down so that people can afford it."

Funny, isn't it? Trump doesn't care about what serves sick people. Quite consistently, he puts his thumb on the scale for Big Pharma.

More C&L
Loading ...