US Buys Majority of Redemsivir Global Stock in Hopes of Ensuring COVID-19 Recoveries
A lab technician works on investigational COVID-19 treatment drug "Remdesivir" at Eva Pharma Facility in Cairo, Egypt.
The United States has purchased nearly the entire worldwide supply of the anti-viral drug, redemsivir that can fast-track COVID-19 patients' recovery.
Alex Azar, Human and Health Service secretary, announced earlier this week, a settlement "to secure large quantities of the drug from Gilead Sciences" until September, consenting U.S. hospitals to purchase it.
In a statement, Azar said, U.S. President Donald Trump has struck a remarkable agreement to guarantee that Americans are given "access to the pioneering certified therapeutic drug for COVID-19."
The HHS secretary added, the government wants to make sure that any patient in the U.S. who needs remdesivir can get it.
Azar also said that the Trump Administration is doing everything to learn more about treatments that can save lives and secure access to such health options to Americans.
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Over Half-a-Million Therapeutic Courses of Redemsivir Secured
The department also announced it has secured over half-a-million doses of remdesivir. In a statement, the HHS indicated, the number represents 100 percent of the estimated production of Gilead for July, 90 percent of the production, or over 170,000 treatment courses, in August, and 90 percent of the production of more than 230,000 treatment courses in September, on top of an allotment for clinical tests.
As earlier reported, the therapeutic drug will have a price range between $2,340 and $3,120 for the typical COVID-19 patient who has private health insurance Gilead announced on Monday, adding it would cost hospitals roughly $520 a dose for patients with private insurance.
A report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that "the shorter, more typical course of treatment would work out to $3,120." Meanwhile, a longer duration, the reputable news outlet reported, would cost $5,720.
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The Lone Anti-Viral Drug Approved to Treat COVID-19 Patients
Remdesivir, according to Euronews, is the only anti-viral drug that the European Medicines Agency approved to treat COVID-19 patients.
According to several British researchers, another medicine discovered to impact patients infected with the said virus is the "steroid dexamethasone," which lessens the mortality rate in the most seriously sick patients by up to one-third of the total number.
Experts from the United Kingdom recently claimed that dexamethasone, a low-dose steroid treatment, is a significant development in combating the deadly virus.
In the third week of June, BBC News reported that dexamethasone is also part of the most significant "biggest trial existing treatments" of the world to identify if they can also help treat COVID-19.
Senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University, Dr. Andrew Hill said, the U.S. has access to almost the entire supply of redemsivir, "so there's nothing for Europe."
Hill also said, redemsivir is the first major approved medicine, "And where is the mechanism for access?" He added that once more, Europe is at the back of the line.
However, the visiting research fellow said, the U.K. could still secure the remdesivir through the so-called "compulsory license" overriding the company's intellectual company property rights.
This means that the U.K. would be permitted to buy the drug from generic companies located in India or Bangladesh, where the patent of Gilead is not recognized.
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