LONDON (HRNW) Some governments in Europe and Asia said on Wednesday they have enough of Gilead’s COVID-19 anti-viral remdesivir for now despite fears of shortages since the U.S. drugmaker pledged most output to its home market for the next three months.
The pharmaceutical company’s move stirred the global debate about equitable access to drugs and brought concerns about accessibility, especially in regions where coronavirus rates are still high or there have been new outbreaks.
Remdesivir is in high demand after the intravenously-administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a clinical trial. It is believed to be most effective in treating COVID-19 patients earlier in the course of disease than other therapies like the steroid dexamethasone.
Britain and Germany said they had sufficient reserves for now, though they were weighing options for when those might be exhausted.
South Korea, for its part, has started distributing stocks, but plans talks to purchase more supplies in August.
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