Gilead is now in the spotlight again after data showed its antiviral drug remdesivir helped reduce hospital stays for COVID-19 patients, and the U.S. authorized wide emergency use of the therapy. "This is a tremendous opportunity for drug manufacturers," to improve the industry's image, said Ed Schoonveld, a drug pricing expert at consulting firm ZS Associates. The company is donating enough remdesivir for at least 140,000 patients for distribution by the US government to hospitals nationally. Gilead also aims to increase worldwide manufacturing to supply over a million coronavirus patients by year-end, rising to several million in 2021, if required. Some experts warn that a much higher U.S. price for remdesivir would put Gilead back in the crosshairs on drug pricing.

Source: bd News24 May 06, 2020 17:03 UTC