STAT Plus: State attorneys general urge HHS to sidestep Gilead patents to increase remdesivir access
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general is urging the federal government to sidestep the patents held by Gilead Sciences (GILD) for remdesivir, the only authorized treatment for Covid-19, over frustration with pricing and supplies set by the manufacturer.
In arguing their case, the state officials maintain Gilead has been “unable to assure” a sufficient supply of the medication to hospitals across the U.S. and has “[placed] its profit margins” over patients by charging the federal government $2,340 for a five-day treatment course, even though U.S. taxpayer dollars contributed to the discovery of the drug and manufacturing costs are reportedly low.
