Posted by Michael Wonder on 02 Jul 2020
Gilead donates COVID-19 drug remdesivir to Australia’s medical stockpile after US buys up supply
2 July 2020 - The US pharmaceutical giant Gilead has donated a supply of the anti-viral medication remdesivir to Australia’s national medical stockpile, with the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, saying there will be enough of the drug to meet COVID-19 patient demand.
It followed news overnight that the US government bought virtually all of the global supply of remdesivir for the next three months. The drug has shown some promise in helping COVID-19 patients recover faster. However, it is not a cure.
Remdesivir is the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat COVID-19, prompting the White House under US president Donald Trump to buy more than 500,000 doses, representing all of Gilead’s production for July and 90% of August and September.
