Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/09/30/remdesivir-drug-coronavirus-gilead/
Remdesivir may not cure coronavirus, but it’s on track to make billions for Gilead
Supply shortages have eased, and the government is loosening the reins on distribution.
By Christopher Rowland
September 30, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
J. Randall Curtis gives remdesivir to his seriously ill coronavirus patients based on statistics, not his own experience. From the bedside, he said, benefits of the drug are undetectable.
"It’s hard when you’re on the front line, knowing whether it makes a difference. People are not jumping out of bed and saying, ‘Thanks, you saved my life,' " said Curtis, a doctor at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. "We are continuing to use it, because if you look at all the data in total, there probably is some benefit.”
Administration initially dispensed scarce covid-19 drug to some hospitals that didn’t need it
With hospitals bracing for a possible fall and winter surge in cases of the novel coronavirus, the pharmaceutical toolbox for physicians to treat covid-19 is seriously restricted.
And those limited options have helped remdesivir move to launch commercially in record time, even though it’s a modestly beneficial drug with little evidence it improves survival. The government is poised to end its control of distribution of the drug after Sept. 30, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said last week, pushing it into normal drug distribution channels. And Gilead, the drugmaker, has taken more steps on its application for full, fast-track Food and Drug Administration approval, which could further expand its use.
But for doctors and researchers, clinical studies have reinforced questions about the effectiveness of the drug and who is best suited to receive it. The most conclusive evidence shows it reduces hospital stays from 15 to 11 days but does not significantly reduce the odds of dying of the coronavirus. And advocates are also questioning whether Gilead’s $3,120 price per course of treatment is justified, based on its modest benefits and previous taxpayer investments. Remdesivir was developed in partnership with government agencies and at least $70 million from U.S. taxpayers.
“The drug clearly has some kind of benefit, but it’s really not clear how great of a benefit it is. Everyone is waiting for better mortality data,” said Walid Gellad, a physician and director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine. “The pricing is based on this drug that has a huge impact, and it’s turning out that it does not have a huge impact.”
Still, he added, “If you looked at the data and asked yourself, would I want to be on it — most people would say yes.”
And yet remdesivir is having commercial success. Shortages that marked its fast-paced rollout last spring and over the summer have eased, with an increase in manufacturing and a decrease in hospitalizations nationally...
Remdesivir may not cure coronavirus, but it’s on track to make billions for Gilead
Supply shortages have eased, and the government is loosening the reins on distribution.
By Christopher Rowland
September 30, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
J. Randall Curtis gives remdesivir to his seriously ill coronavirus patients based on statistics, not his own experience. From the bedside, he said, benefits of the drug are undetectable.
"It’s hard when you’re on the front line, knowing whether it makes a difference. People are not jumping out of bed and saying, ‘Thanks, you saved my life,' " said Curtis, a doctor at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. "We are continuing to use it, because if you look at all the data in total, there probably is some benefit.”
Administration initially dispensed scarce covid-19 drug to some hospitals that didn’t need it
With hospitals bracing for a possible fall and winter surge in cases of the novel coronavirus, the pharmaceutical toolbox for physicians to treat covid-19 is seriously restricted.
And those limited options have helped remdesivir move to launch commercially in record time, even though it’s a modestly beneficial drug with little evidence it improves survival. The government is poised to end its control of distribution of the drug after Sept. 30, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said last week, pushing it into normal drug distribution channels. And Gilead, the drugmaker, has taken more steps on its application for full, fast-track Food and Drug Administration approval, which could further expand its use.
But for doctors and researchers, clinical studies have reinforced questions about the effectiveness of the drug and who is best suited to receive it. The most conclusive evidence shows it reduces hospital stays from 15 to 11 days but does not significantly reduce the odds of dying of the coronavirus. And advocates are also questioning whether Gilead’s $3,120 price per course of treatment is justified, based on its modest benefits and previous taxpayer investments. Remdesivir was developed in partnership with government agencies and at least $70 million from U.S. taxpayers.
“The drug clearly has some kind of benefit, but it’s really not clear how great of a benefit it is. Everyone is waiting for better mortality data,” said Walid Gellad, a physician and director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine. “The pricing is based on this drug that has a huge impact, and it’s turning out that it does not have a huge impact.”
Still, he added, “If you looked at the data and asked yourself, would I want to be on it — most people would say yes.”
And yet remdesivir is having commercial success. Shortages that marked its fast-paced rollout last spring and over the summer have eased, with an increase in manufacturing and a decrease in hospitalizations nationally...