Gilead still wants to control remdesivir. @GileadSciences needs to get used to giving up that control. #Remdesivir should be in the public domain (1/6) @Public_Citizen @MSF_access @uaem @OSFHealth 
Today @GileadSciences announced a deal with five other firms to facilitate remdesivir international manufacture and distribution. The more than 70 countries excluded would have to buy remdesivir from Gilead at its monopoly price, or overcome Gilead’s claimed patents. (2/6)
Federal scientists led the team that found that #remdesivir was active against coronaviruses. Public investment supported and continues to support every stage of remdesivir’s development. The public has contributed a minimum of $70.5 million to remdesivir’s development. (3/6)
While Gilead’s licenses enable intl manufacturing capacity, they also are designed to discourage generic competition in large MICs such as Brazil, China and Mexico, where treatment needs are serious. These countries will confront Gilead’s monopoly pricing. (4/6)
Even more serious, nearly half the world’s population (3.7 billion) appears to fall outside the license territory. Gilead has a responsibility to demonstrate how it would supply billions of people in the excluded countries, should #remdesivir prove safe and effective. (5/6)
More than donating doses, #Gilead should donate its technology. #Remdesivir should be in the public domain. Gilead should commit patents, data, know-how to the public so that researchers everywhere can investigate its efficacy and manufacturers can bring supply to scale. (6/6)
