US acquires world’s entire supply of coronavirus drug remdesivir

The US has acquired up practically all the stocks for the next three months of breakthrough coronavirus drug remdesivir for itself leaving none for most of the rest of the world.

Experts and campaigners are frightened both by the US one-sided action on remdesivir and the more large-scale implications, for instance in the event of a vaccine becoming available. The Trump administration has previously proved that it is ready to pay and outdo all other countries to obtain the medical supplies it needs for the US.

“They’ve got access to most of the drug supply [of remdesivir], so there’s nothing for Europe,” said Dr Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University.