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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

#81

Post by Tuna-Fish »

belltaco wrote: post #30
Tuna-Fish wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How does this go together with the claim that "Remdesivir is patented by California-based Gilead"? India does not recognize patents on medicine. See, for example: India: Patents And The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry [1] > With regard to pharmaceuticals, in the case of substances intended for use or capable of being used as food, drugs or medicines or substances produced by chemical processes, patents are granted o…

I think that law was changed in 2005 to allow product patents.

The law might have been changed, but the practice of the law has not. India still does not honor practically any foreign patents on medicine.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#83

Post by coding123 »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #59
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,…

The last studies I saw showed Remdesivir didn't actually save lives. Unless some very different studies have come out, this is just a politically connected pharma company using the pandemic to get a fat check from the US government. This is just your standard every day corruption.

Same here. I swear Covid has been bringing out the WORST in information recycling I've ever seen.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#84

Post by alextheparrot »

throwaway_pdp09 wrote: post #37
bearjaws wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This, I work in specialty pharmacies and Remdesivir is a complicated drug to produce. Currently Gilead believe they can bring down their production time from 8-12 months 6-8 months, that means we won't see a large supply of this drug until 2021.

I have a noobish question. Looking at Remdesivir wiki page to try to get a feeling for why it's hard to make, their are some really odd chemicals used like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylsilyl_triflate Why is something like this, with its silicon and sulphur atoms as part of the backbone, needed? Why wouldn't the same but with a more typical fully-carbon backbone work? If it's too complex a question, ski…

The short “answer” is that the reaction step needs to form a carbon-carbon bond, which isn’t always trivial to make. A fully carbon backbone is likely not reactive in the way they need it to be here.

Certain “weird” metals like zinc, tin, and silicon (And these are the more normal ones) have been found to be able to help with this type of chemistry. The reason for why these metals are useful gets into orbital mechanics, but the core idea is that they can facilitate carbon-carbon bond formation.

The sulphur and fluorine are standard as part of the triflate functional group — it is a stable leaving group based on wanting electrons and being stable once it grabs those electrons (The sulphur can facilitate reasonable stabilisation).

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#85

Post by vikramkr »

b112 wrote: post #55
vikramkr wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They basically gave away licenses to generics manufacturers- gilead has been very reasonable. Also, not all countries respect patents.

This is exceptionally important to mention, too. Imagine "doing the right thing", and then people lamblasting you, upset at you, and even actively working against you.

I expected the backlash from pharma publications going on about how the incredibly low price gilead set for the drug is going to set a precedent that might force the entire industry to cut prices and destroy profits[1]. I didnt expect the backlash from the public. The message that gilead and friends would be getting is that people will hate pharma for the sake of hating pharma, amd that the hate they get has nothing to do with their behavior, so might as well charge high prices since the anti-pharma crowd is not acting in good faith.

[1]https://www.statnews.com/2020/06/29/gilead-remdesivir-price-...

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#86

Post by stoneglyph »

The bigger story is what has happened with Hydroxychloroquine. Here is some good information about Hydroxychloroquine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q41F11PzB-A

Here is another piece: http://fullmeasure.news/news/cover-story/hydroxychloroquine

And here is some good info on things doctors perhaps should be doing, or at least acknowledging, but aren't: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKBz2hcVg-k

Please explore the above sources. Most of the public is being severely manipulated about these kinds of topics. This magnitude of manipulation is paving the way for a precarious future.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#88

Post by Google234 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #40
sokoloff wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What second or third order effects might happen? I’m not saying the status quo is the only reasonable equilibrium, but if you take the profit motive out of something (anything), I worry that you’ll get fewer of society’s resources directed towards that area. Maybe that’s money, attention of the brightest/most creative thinkers, willingness to do the outright drudgery required to invent, perceived status of the field,…

The scientists doing the work could be getting paid the exact same by the government as opposed to investors looking to make 1000x returns. In fact, I’m pretty sure the taxpayers are subsidizing investors with all the free research and knowledge they get from taxpayer funded higher educational facilities.

Lol if you think investors are getting 1000x returns then why aren’t you investing in all the pharma companies :)

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#89

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

perseusprime11 wrote: post #69
Consultant32452 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The last studies I saw showed Remdesivir didn't actually save lives. Unless some very different studies have come out, this is just a politically connected pharma company using the pandemic to get a fat check from the US government. This is just your standard every day corruption.

They use some medical mumbo jumbo to show that patients spend less time at hospitals compared to other drugs and therefore Remdesivir works. They know how to lobby the scientific community so we will never know the truth. Sick patients will use and pay out of fear. I would love to see an unbiased study at some point if at all that shows the relative efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine with and without zinc and Remdesivir…

The Tamiflu hustle.

Re: USA buys up world stock of remdesivir

#90

Post by lotsofpulp »

Google234 wrote: post #88
lotsofpulp wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The scientists doing the work could be getting paid the exact same by the government as opposed to investors looking to make 1000x returns. In fact, I’m pretty sure the taxpayers are subsidizing investors with all the free research and knowledge they get from taxpayer funded higher educational facilities.

Lol if you think investors are getting 1000x returns then why aren’t you investing in all the pharma companies :)

I wrote looking to make 1000x returns, not getting 1000x returns. If I was investing into pharma R&D, I would also be looking for commensurate returns and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Developing medicines is a high risk venture. But the rewards are extremely high also, so maybe it merits the resources of all of society. This is ignoring that US taxpayers already pay for a significant portion of the R&D via universities.

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