Um, yes, I do know what a patent means. Gilead Science's patent on Remdesivir allows low and middle income countries to reproduce it but they are not allowed to sell their product to high income countries. High income countries must purchase through Gilead and it will be available for those countries to purchase at $2300ish a course of treatment. US has purchased all Gilead's current stock plus 90% of future stock through August.Mommamia wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2020 10:12 pmDo you understand what a patent on a drug means? It doesn't mean other countries won't be able to purchase the drug. New drugs always have a patent anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Having a patent prevents any other companies from making the same drug. A drug that a pharmaceutical company spent on average $350M to develop. Seeing that Gilead got a fast track on this drug, their costs weren't anywhere near that. I personally think they are ripping off not only our gov't, but any gov't, hospital, whatever anywhere.WellPreserved wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2020 9:49 pmYou were the one saying that Remdesivir trials were unreliable and it shouldn't be the drug of choice. I was just pointing out that currently, the Trump administration feels that it is the drug of choice - so much so that they have bought up the CURRENT world stock of Remdesivir. You didn't know this? What news sources to you read?
"The US bought up 90% of the world's supply of remdesivir for the next 3 months, and patents mean many countries won't be able to get any"
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-buys ... ths-2020-7
How quickly you all forget that Trump was excoriated for not having pandemic supplies stockpiled, when it was Obama who used up most of the stockpiles for SARS and MERS, and never replaced any of it.
So, I would say that Trump is making sure that's not going to happen again.
As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
Why do you feel that Hydroxchloroquine is a better treatment than Remdesivir despite studies showing otherwise? Do you feel that the Trump administration is making a very expensive mistake in stockpiling Remdesivir? Do you feel that Trump bears any responsibility for lack of stockpiled PPE equipment in light of the fact that he has been in office for 3 1/2 years?