A Gilead Sciences, Inc. logo is visible outside the company’s corporate headquarters in Foster City, California (Reuters)
Gilead Sciences Inc’s Antiviral remdesivir could cost up to $ 5,080 per course depending on the benefits demonstrated in COVID-19 patients, an American drug pricing research group suggested on Wednesday above its previous recommendation of about 4,500 $.
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said the change in recommendation was due to recent clinical data, updated cost estimates, public comments and interactions with Gilead.
However, the Boston ICER suggested a lower price range of about $ 2,520 to $ 2,800, if the steroid dexamethasone were to be approved for use in COVID-19. The inexpensive and widely used steroid was found to reduce death rates in critically ill patients in a study earlier this month.
What Gilead could charge for remdesivir in the United States after its announced donations have run out has been the subject of intense debate, experts suggesting Gilead should avoid appearing to profit from a health crisis to make a profit. .
Remdesivir reduced hospital stays by 31% compared to a placebo in a clinical trial published in late April.
Gilead said he was examining the full ICER report to understand which factors were taken into account.
“After the donation, we are committed to making remdesivir both accessible and affordable for governments and patients around the world,” a Gilead spokesperson said in an email.
Wall Street analysts say the drug could generate billions of dollars in revenue over the next two years, assuming the pandemic continues.
Earlier this week, Gilead said it expects to be able to provide enough remdesivir by the end of the year to treat more than 2 million COVID-19 patients.
The drug maker has signed license agreements with a multitude of Indian drug makers, including Cipla Ltd and Hetero Labs Ltd.
The Cipla version is priced at 5,000 Indian rupees ($ 66.09), while the Hetero Lab version is priced at 5,400 rupees.
($ 1 = 75.6500 Indian rupees)
(Report by Saumya Sibi Joseph and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Edition by Shinjini Ganguli and Maju Samuel)
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
