U.S. government secures remdesivir supply for COVID-19 patients

While there originally was concern that the US government supply of remdesivir for hospitalized COVID-19 patients could run out by the end of June, that is not the case.

The Department of Health and Human Services agreed to secure large supplies of the drug from Gilead Sciences through September, allowing American hospitals to purchase remdesivir in amounts allocated by HHS and state health departments.

Related: Remdesvir for COVID-19 in short supply

“To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it. The Trump Administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for COVID-19 and secure access to these options for the American people,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a press release.

HHS has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of the drug for American hospitals through September.

Related: FDA pulls hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, warns about other drug interaction

Hospitals will pay no more than Gilead’s Wholesale Acquisition Price (WAC) — approximately $3,200 per treatment course, HHS said.

However, remdesivir could be priced up to $5,080 per course based on benefits shown in COVID-19 patients, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said in a revised estimate.

HHS allocates product to state and territorial health departments based on COVID-19 hospital burden, and health departments allocate it to hospitals. The delivery of the purchased remdesivir will be streamlined, going directly to the hospital, per the state’s allocation decision, rather than going first to the state health departments for subsequent delivery to hospitals, HHS said.

Read more: FDA: Fraudulent COVID-19 medical products abound