Sanders Demands Trump Rescind 'Truly Outrageous' Decision to Hand Gilead Exclusive Rights

[Uncle Joe]

Possible Coronavirus Treatment

Sen. Bernie Sanders late Tuesday demanded that the Trump administration immediately rescind its decision to grant pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences exclusive rights to the antiviral drug remdesivir, one of many drugs currently being tested as a possible treatment for the novel coronavirus that is rapidly spreading and taking lives across the globe.

In a statement, Sanders said it's "truly outrageous that after taxpayers put tens of millions of dollars into developing remdesivir, Trump's [Food and Drug Administration] is exploiting a law reserved for rare diseases to privatize a drug to treat a pandemic virus."

"The Trump administration must rescind this corporate giveaway to Gilead and make any treatment and vaccine free for everybody," added the Vermont senator.

The Intercept reported Tuesday that the FDA earlier this week granted Gilead "orphan" drug status over remdesivir, which was developed with the help of at least $79 million in taxpayer funds.

(snip)


https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/25/sanders-demands-trump-rescind-truly-outrageous-decision-hand-gilead-exclusive-rights

[George II]

1. I guess he doesn't want the development of the antiviral drug to proceed.

[William769]

2. I am in a class action lawsuit against Gilead

That company damn near killed me & a lot of others.

[Tien1985]

5. I have some friends

Who use their meds but weren't at risk for the lawsuit, but Gilead sucks :/

[William769]

6. Glad they weren't hurt.

[NCProgressive]

3. I'm no fan of Gilead but they are the only ones who have the capacity

to scale-up manufacturing of similar molecules under strict GMP and distribute nationwide. It is a right decision based on Gilead's infrasturcture, technological prowess and manufacturing capabilities.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

4. Unfortunately, Sanders is being disingenuous here.

What he is demanding is NOT how it works. Clinical trials and research and development of new medications are routinely carried out by the manufacturer, who then gets exclusive rights to that product for a certain time period, and years before any generic can be made to recoup their expenses. Bringing new drugs to market is a VERY expensive process, largely because so many drugs fail, and it's back to square one.

Sanders knows this and is engaging in theater here.

[George II]

7. By seemingly being against Gilead making a profit, he's against Gilead developing a drug...

....to combat this deadly virus.

Why does the health and safety of Americans always come down to cold hard cash for some.

[HarlanPepper]

8. Is he still waiting it out in Vermont?

[Nonhlanhla]

9. Gilead withdrew the application

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/health/gilead-coronavirus-orphan-drug.amp.html

[The Magistrate]

10. Do, Please, Sir, Keep Us Aquainted With Each Burp Of The Cry-Baby

NO ONE GIVES THE NORTH END OF A SOUTHBOUND RAT WHAT SANDERS SAYS!!!





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[grantcart]

12. Commondreams specializes in crybaby burps

Your post was alerted on lol.

[The Magistrate]

13. Not Too Surprised, Sir

Thank you for the tip.

[Faux pas]

11. Kickin'

just because.

[BeckyDem]

14. Nice acknowledgement: Former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp (D). "You go, my friend!"

But Sanders’s passionate rebuttal, which came in the same week his campaign indicated he would stay in the Democratic race, was widely shared online even after the coronavirus relief package was unanimously approved by the Senate.

“I may not always agree with @BernieSanders but this is @BernieSanders at his very best,” tweeted former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp (D). “You go, my friend!”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/26/coronavirus-sanders-unemployment-relief/