The corona drug remdesivir is in great demand and the United States has has bought almost all the supply for the next three months of potential COVID-19 treatment drug Remdesivir, leaving none for the UK, Europe or most of the rest of the world.
The US currently leads the world in Covid-19 cases with over 2.6 million infections and over 127,000 deaths
The antiviral agent Remdesivir, which was developed against Ebola, is considered an effective agent. Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication developed by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. It is administered via injection into a vein.
As the Guardian reports, The United States Department of Health Human Services (HHS) has bought “almost all inventory” over the next three months. “You have access to a large part of the active ingredient, so there is nothing for Europe,” quotes the “Guardian” Dr. Andrew Hill from Liverpool University.
140,000 doses of remdesivir were available worldwide for tests and studies, but according to the “Guardian” these have now been used up.
The Trump administration has meanwhile bought up more than 500,000 units of remdesivir for the USA – the complete production of the active ingredient in July and 90 percent of the active ingredient, which is produced in August and September.
“President Trump negotiated an incredible deal to ensure that Americans have access to the first approved drug against Covid-19,” said Secretary of Health Alex Azar.
Remdesivir is expected to be in high demand as one of the only treatments so far shown to alter the course of COVID-19
Gilead Sciences Inc on Monday priced its COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir at $2,340 per patient for wealthier nations and agreed to send nearly all of its supply of the drug to the United States over the next three months.
