The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said its change in recommendation stemmed from recent clinical data, updated cost estimates, public comment and interactions with Gilead.
However, Boston-based ICER suggested a lower price range of around $ 2,520 to $ 2,800, if the steroid dexamethasone were authorized for use in COVID-19. The cheap and widely used steroid was found to reduce death rates in critically ill patients in a study earlier this month.
What Gilead could charge for remdesivir in the United States after their promised donations are exhausted has been a subject of intense debate, with experts suggesting that Gilead should avoid the appearance of taking advantage of a health crisis for profit.
Remdesivir reduced hospital stays by 31%, compared to placebo, in a clinical trial published in late April.
Gilead said he was reviewing the full ICER report to understand what factors were considered.
“After the donation, we are committed to making remdesivir accessible and affordable to governments and patients around the world,” a Gilead spokesperson said in an email.
Wall Street analysts say the drug could generate billions of dollars in revenue in the coming years, assuming the pandemic continues.
Earlier this week, Gilead said he hopes to be able to supply enough remdesivir by the end of the year to treat more than 2 million patients with COVID-19.
The Cipla version is priced at 5,000 Indian rupees ($ 66.09), while the Hetero Lab version is priced at Rs 5,400.
($ 1 = 75.6500 Indian rupees)
(Report by Saumya Sibi Joseph and Manas Mishra in Bangalore; Shinjini Ganguli and Maju Samuel edition)
