Gilead Sciences’ COVID-19 treatment drug, remdesivir, has already brought in $873 million since its emergency use authorization, making it the company’s second best-selling drug for the third quarter.
The thing is, it’s a “mediocre” drug at best. According to The New York Times, Dr. Peter B. Bach, director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said “This is a troubling approval … an extremely weak set of trials to support an approval for an antiviral.”
Approval of the drug was based on just three randomized controlled trials — and the WHO a week ago “found little or no benefit for survival” with it. And, some leading some health officials even question whether it’s proper for Gilead to be raking in all the dough when the government has so much invested in it, as well.
Even so, the drug is expected to be a blockbuster that will yield a “very good return” for investors, the NYT said.