Here’s how the government could provide free remdesivir while still paying Gilead
Activists looking at Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir see two major problems: The Covid-19 drug’s price is too high, and the company isn’t equipped to manufacture enough of it to meet global demand. They also see a solution in the form of an obscure federal law that would allow the government to step in and rectify both issues.
Writing in STAT, three advocates point to a provision that would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to completely take over the manufacturing and distribution of remdesivir by seizing Gilead’s patents. It could then license it out to rival drug makers to increase capacity, boosting competition and lowering costs in the process.
Importantly, this idea wouldn’t hang Gilead out to dry. The company would be entitled to “reasonable and entire compensation” for its work on remdesivir, which would be decided by a court. That typically takes the form of a market-rate royalty, which, considering the demand for remdesivir, could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Writing in STAT, three advocates point to a provision that would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to completely take over the manufacturing and distribution of remdesivir by seizing Gilead’s patents. It could then license it out to rival drug makers to increase capacity, boosting competition and lowering costs in the process.
Importantly, this idea wouldn’t hang Gilead out to dry. The company would be entitled to “reasonable and entire compensation” for its work on remdesivir, which would be decided by a court. That typically takes the form of a market-rate royalty, which, considering the demand for remdesivir, could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
Read more.
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