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USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

theguardian.com

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Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#11

Post by ketzu »

PeterStuer wrote: post #9
credit_guy wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actualy Gilead is allowing generics manufacturers to produce remdesivir https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/covid...

Except they declare the terms of who gets to produce it and where they can be distributed. Conveniently they reserve the exclusive rights for the 'rich' countries to themselves.

Is that supposed to make someone angry? Because this seems like an okay solution to make back investments and still allow cheaper access for poorer nations.

Still if they can't keep up with demand and there are many lifes at stake, we should probably legislate a compensated invalidation of such a patent.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#12

Post by vertex-four »

ketzu wrote: post #11
PeterStuer wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except they declare the terms of who gets to produce it and where they can be distributed. Conveniently they reserve the exclusive rights for the 'rich' countries to themselves.

Is that supposed to make someone angry? Because this seems like an okay solution to make back investments and still allow cheaper access for poorer nations. Still if they can't keep up with demand and there are many lifes at stake, we should probably legislate a compensated invalidation of such a patent.

The US is not the entirety of the countries they reserve to themselves. This process was not decided on as the most efficient by any sort of entity with an interest in public health - it's a private company performing a "goodwill" gesture.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#13

Post by ketzu »

vertex-four wrote: post #12
ketzu wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that supposed to make someone angry? Because this seems like an okay solution to make back investments and still allow cheaper access for poorer nations. Still if they can't keep up with demand and there are many lifes at stake, we should probably legislate a compensated invalidation of such a patent.

The US is not the entirety of the countries they reserve to themselves. This process was not decided on as the most efficient by any sort of entity with an interest in public health - it's a private company performing a "goodwill" gesture.

> The US is not the entirety of the countries they reserve to themselves.

Sorry, my statement on legislation was ambigious. First, "we" was meant as "we the people of our respective countries," not limited to the US in any way. Secondly, it would probably create some international problems, so a combined effort would be nice. But I think companies should be compensated in such a case (hence "compensated invalidation") in a way that a company can reasonably accept.

> This process was not decided on as the most efficient by any sort of entity with an interest in public health - it's a private company performing a "goodwill" gesture.

I didn't claim that. I said it seems like an okay solution to that challenge (to me). This is independent from who came up with the idea.

As I felt it was phrased in a whay to supposedly make a reader angry, I questioned why that should be the case. Maybe that was over-interpreted by me. For the same reason I would accept this as an actual goodwill gesture. I have no trouble with the idea that richer countries have to pay more for making the development worthwhile and poorer countries benefiting from that at a cheaper price, as it seems like the humane thing to do to me.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#14

Post by lksaar »

kstenerud wrote: post #2

"The drug, which was invented for Ebola but failed to work, is under patent to Gilead, which means no other company in wealthy countries can make it." Sorry, but if the one blessed company with the patent can't keep up with demand, and millions are going to die because there are patent restrictions, then ignore the patent laws and save some lives. It wouldn't look too good if the American government tried to stop it,…

Canada already did that once in regards to Cipro (anthrax antidote patented by bayer) back in 2001. The Bush gov forced Bayer to sell it for way cheaper, by threathing to buy generics instead.

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/24/business/a-nation-challen...

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#15

Post by whymauri »

kstenerud wrote: post #2

"The drug, which was invented for Ebola but failed to work, is under patent to Gilead, which means no other company in wealthy countries can make it." Sorry, but if the one blessed company with the patent can't keep up with demand, and millions are going to die because there are patent restrictions, then ignore the patent laws and save some lives. It wouldn't look too good if the American government tried to stop it,…

Fortunately, it's possible millions will not die in this case because remdisivir is most likely a quality-of-life therapeutic for people in the recovery phase. Your intuition is real though and my existential terror is that a real viral entry treatment will be developed, and that it may become unavailable or means-tested in an exclusionary way.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#17

Post by paulcole »

somurzakov wrote: post #16

1. remdesivir is not a cure for COVID and not as valuable to the rest of the world. We need vaccine 2. there is plenty of generic remdesivir in India

Until recently people were buying it from India to treat FIV (a previously fatal disease in housecats). There was a whole network of people supplying it through Facebook groups and mailing it to the US.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#18

Post by kleiba »

somurzakov wrote: post #16

1. remdesivir is not a cure for COVID and not as valuable to the rest of the world. We need vaccine 2. there is plenty of generic remdesivir in India

2. there is plenty of generic remdesivir in India

How does this go together with the claim that "Remdesivir is patented by California-based Gilead"?

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#19

Post by sjg007 »

kstenerud wrote: post #2

"The drug, which was invented for Ebola but failed to work, is under patent to Gilead, which means no other company in wealthy countries can make it." Sorry, but if the one blessed company with the patent can't keep up with demand, and millions are going to die because there are patent restrictions, then ignore the patent laws and save some lives. It wouldn't look too good if the American government tried to stop it,…

Countries can nationalize the patent in times of pandemics and produce it locally. But this drug is hard to make.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#20

Post by KptMarchewa »

kleiba wrote: post #18
somurzakov wrote: post #16

1. remdesivir is not a cure for COVID and not as valuable to the rest of the world. We need vaccine 2. there is plenty of generic remdesivir in India

2. there is plenty of generic remdesivir in India How does this go together with the claim that "Remdesivir is patented by California-based Gilead"?

https://www.gilead.com/purpose/advancing-global-health/covid...
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