The United States has purchased virtually all stocks for the next three months of one of two drugs that work against Covid-19, leaving none for the United Kingdom, Europe, or most of the rest of the world.
Experts and activists are alarmed by both the unilateral action by the United States on remdesivir and the broader implications, for example, in the event that a vaccine is available. The Trump administration has already shown that it is poised to outperform and outperform all other countries to secure the medical supplies it needs for the U.S.
“They have access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir]so there’s nothing for Europe, “said Dr. Andrew Hill, visiting researcher at the University of Liverpool.
Remdesivir, the first drug approved by the licensing authorities in the United States to treat Covid-19, is manufactured by Gilead and has been shown to help people recover more quickly from the disease. The first 140,000 doses, delivered to drug trials worldwide, have been exhausted. The Trump administration has now purchased more than 500,000 doses, which is all Gilead production for July and 90% for August and September.
“President Trump has struck a surprising deal to ensure that Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic treatment for Covid-19,” said United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. “As much as possible, we want to make sure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it. The Trump administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapies for Covid-19 and to ensure access to these options for the American people. “
The drug, which was invented for Ebola but didn’t work, is patented by Gilead, which means that no other company in rich countries can do it. The cost is around $ 3,200 per six-dose treatment, according to the U.S. government statement.
The deal was announced when it became clear that the pandemic in the United States is out of control. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading public health expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Senate that the United States was backing down.
“We are going in the wrong direction,” Fauci said. Last week, the United States saw a new daily record of 40,000 new cases of coronavirus in one day. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this doesn’t change,” she said. He could not provide an estimated death toll, but said: “It will be very disturbing, I guarantee it.”
The United States has recorded more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of Covid-19. Some states lifted the restrictions only to have to repress again. On Monday, the Arizona governor ordered the closure of bars, cinemas, gyms and water parks for a month, weeks after it reopened. Texas, Florida and California, all seeing increases in cases, have also re-imposed restrictions.
Buying the global supply of remdesivir is not just a reaction to the increased spread and death toll. The United States has adopted a “United States first” attitude throughout the global pandemic.
In May, French manufacturer Sanofi said the United States would get the first access to its Covid vaccine if it works. Its CEO, Paul Hudson, was quoted as saying: “The US government is entitled to the largest pre-order because it is invested in taking the risk,” and, he added, the US hoped “if we have helped it to make the doses at risk, we hope to get the doses first. ”He later backed down under pressure from the French government.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned that there could be unintended negative consequences if the United States continues to outbid its allies. “We know that it is in our interest to work collaboratively and cooperatively to keep our citizens safe,” he said. The Trump administration has also invoked the Defense Production Act to block the shipment of some medical products made in the U.S.
However, nothing seems likely to prevent the United States from cornering the market in remdesivir. “This is the first major approved drug, and where is the access mechanism?” Dr. Hill said. “Once again we are at the end of the line.”
The drug has been eagerly watched for the past five months, Hill said, but there was no mechanism to guarantee a supply outside the United States. “Imagine this was a vaccine,” he said. “That would be a firestorm. But perhaps this is a sample of what is to come. “
Remdesivir would get people out of the hospital more quickly, reducing the burden on the NHS and could improve survival, Hill said, although that has not yet been proven in trials, as it has with the other successful treatment, the steroid dexamethasone. No attempt has been made to buy global stocks of dexamethasone because there is no need: the drug is 60 years old, cheap, and readily available everywhere.
Hill said there was a way for the UK to secure the supply of this and other drugs during the pandemic, through what is known as a compulsory license, which overrides the company’s intellectual property rights. That would allow the UK government to buy from generic companies in Bangladesh or India, where the Gilead patent is not recognized.
The UK has always upheld patents, backing up pharmaceutical companies’ argument that they need their 20-year monopoly to get back the money they invest in research and development. But other countries have shown interest in compulsory licenses. “It’s about what countries are prepared to do if this becomes a problem,” Hill said.
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