US buys up world stock of key Covid-19 drug remdesivir

[JackRT]

I'm not getting your point. Gilead put the drug on the market. The govt bought all of it, ensuring that no-one else has access to it until autumn at the earliest, probably next year. That's the issue - the govt buying more than they need rather than working out a plan with other nations and manufacturers to extend distribution as needed, which is hardly a big ask, or wouldn't be from a competent administration.

Agreed!!! In the middle of a pandemic emergency medical resources should be allocated by triage. Hoarding only aggravates the existing divide between the rich and the poor.

 

[Hammster]

You're right! I did say that. You can use your expertise on the matter to show me why I am wrong in assuming that 500,000 people are unlikely to be treated with the drug in the US over the next 3 months.

I’m questioning your assertion that the US bought too much. I don’t know why you’d shift the burden to me.

 

[Hammster]

Is there any reason to think that the US govt is considering sharing the drug with any other country?

I don’t know. We do have a history of helping other countries.

 

[Nithavela]

Who says that we won’t share?

I'd advise to sell at double the buying price. Plus shipping and handling, of course.

 

[Tom 1]

I don’t know. We do have a history of helping other countries.

Care to elaborate? US 'help' more often than not has involved helping people by bombing them, usurping their elected governments, starting wars, invasion...believe it or not those things are not always perceived as being helpful. US aid is often contingent on following a US friendly policy, not necessarily a bad thing, but not necessarily a good thing either, that would be a matter of perspective. I assume you are referring to WWII, in which case yes the US did help to win the war in Western Europe after the Pearl Harbour attack, but your govt has since dragged its allies into a 20 yr + war in part over falsified intelligence. There's a balance there, but under the current administration it is heading into the red. It's to be hoped that being freed from US influence will be a good thing for some countries, time will tell I suppose.

 

[Tom 1]

I’m questioning your assertion that the US bought too much. I don’t know why you’d shift the burden to me.

I'm assuming you disagree? If you disagree, presumably you have reasons why. To me it seems more likely that a significant portion of the available doses will be held in reserve over that period, rather than the whole lot being used. What do you think?

 

[Hammster]

I'm assuming you disagree? If you disagree, presumably you have reasons why. To me it seems more likely that a significant portion of the available doses will be held in reserve over that period, rather than the whole lot being used. What do you think?

I’m still waiting for you to show that the US bought too much.

 

[Tom 1]

I’m still waiting for you to show that the US bought too much.

Ah ok, you want to score a point? As I said, it seems to me that the US is unlikely to direct all of those doses to patients within the next few months. Maybe I’m wrong? I think there are other, better ways they could have managed this situation, maybe there aren’t? What do you think?

 

[Nithavela]

Ah ok, you want to score a point? As I said, it seems to me that the US is unlikely to direct all of those doses to patients within the next few months. Maybe I’m wrong? I think there are other, better ways they could have managed this situation, maybe there aren’t? What do you think?

I think that there will be more than enough people to give this medicine to in the coming weeks.

 

[Tom 1]

I think that there will be more than enough people to give this medicine to in the coming weeks.

Enough people yes. I just can’t see the govt there managing to organise effective distribution and not holding some in reserve. Maybe they’ll prove me wrong.

 

[Nithavela]

Enough people yes. I just can’t see the govt there managing to organise effective distribution and not holding some in reserve. Maybe they’ll prove me wrong.

I'm pretty sure a lot of this stuff will be taken "preemptively" by high-ranking officials, even if no clinical indication for that is given. And in a couple of years they'll find a warehouse full with expired remdesivir.

 

[Tom 1]

I'm pretty sure a lot of this stuff will be taken "preemptively" by high-ranking officials, even if no clinical indication for that is given. And in a couple of years they'll find a warehouse full with expired remdesivir.

Could be. Anything that might be considered normal or efficient seems unlikely. We’ll see I suppose.

 

[Hammster]

Ah ok, you want to score a point? As I said, it seems to me that the US is unlikely to direct all of those doses to patients within the next few months. Maybe I’m wrong? I think there are other, better ways they could have managed this situation, maybe there aren’t? What do you think?

I think it’s just fine.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

I think this is one of the first rational actions of the US government in this crisis.

Coldly, cruely rational, but rational. So, kudos for that.

Um isn't this is one of those medications they said "didn't work" a few months back... ??

Data on Gilead's remdesivir show no benefit for coronavirus patients


Funny how that stuff changes in such a short time...

 

[Nithavela]

Um isn't this is one of those medications they said "didn't work" a few months back... ??

Data on Gilead's remdesivir show no benefit for coronavirus patients


Funny how that stuff changes in such a short time...

It's one of the great failings of science that it changes its opinions when confronted with new data.

 

[Tom 1]

Um isn't this is one of those medications they said "didn't work" a few months back... ??

Data on Gilead's remdesivir show no benefit for coronavirus patients


Funny how that stuff changes in such a short time...

It’s not a miracle cure.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Bullies end up with high blood pressure, bad relationships and self-loathing. Maybe there’s a nation state equivalent of that.

Are you referring to the one that is currently bullying Hong Kong?

 

[grasping the after wind]

It’s not a miracle cure.

It is not any kind of a cure but since it is expensive big pharma is touting it as if it was a cure.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

It's one of the great failings of science that it changes its opinions when confronted with new data.

My comment was based on how the American media treated it early on. I understand the point on science but the criticism against the drug was over the top, especially since the positive press from Trump etc. was coming from doctors who were very actively treating patients with the drug, and had lots of experience with the drug in general.

 

[Tom 1]

It is not any kind of a cure but since it is expensive big pharma is touting it as if it was a cure.

It’s been shown to reduce the duration of symptoms. Apparently it interferes with the virus’s ability to reproduce itself to some extent. As I understand it efforts are geared towards using it in combination with other drugs, something akin to combination therapies for HIV maybe.