Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Remdesivir Isn't A Success Story, It's The Poster Child For Why We Need A New Drug Model
Stat: Covid-19 Has Exposed The Limits Of Today's Drug Development Model
That so much hope is being pinned on remdesivir, the drug Gilead is testing for Covid-19, reflects the failure of our system for new drug development rather than the unqualified success some commentators are making it out to be. If anything, remdesivir is the poster child for why we need a new model of drug development for pandemics and neglected diseases that isn’t restricted by the current market-based model. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided the pharmaceutical industry with a chance at bolstering its heavily tarnished image. Abbott Laboratories is winning effusive praise for its introduction of a rapid Covid-19 test. (Tahir Amin and Rohit Malpani, 5/19)
The Washington Post: Beware Of Underpriced Drugs For Covid-19 Treatments
It has become painfully obvious that the only path back to normalcy involves either an effective treatment or a vaccine for covid-19. So it’s no surprise that the public has closely tracked the development of Gilead’s antiviral drug remdesivir, which has shown some promise as a treatment for the disease. Advocates have warned against what they fear will be high prices for covid-19 treatments. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), for example, has said a potential vaccine should be free and that we shouldn’t allow companies to “profiteer” from a cure. (Craig Garthwaite, 5/18)
Bloomberg: Covid Vaccine Developers Need To Take Their Time
The fast pace at which various laboratories are working on vaccines against Covid-19 carries both promise and peril. On Monday, Moderna Therapeutics Inc. announced the first reported data from human trials, and they are positive. That’s good news, and it arrived sooner than expected. But the parts of the project that lie ahead will be harder to accomplish with speed. Eight patients who received low and medium doses of the Moderna’s candidate vaccine appear to have developed antibodies capable of neutralizing the new coronavirus. (Max Nisen, 5/18)
The Morning Call: Coronavirus Vaccine: Why Prices Controls Would Slow Development
American scientists are working furiously to develop treatments for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Right here in Southeast Pennsylvania, Inovio Pharmaceuticals is in the midst of Phase I human testing for its coronavirus vaccine candidate and hopes to launch Phase II and III trials this summer. (Kenneth E. Thorpe, 5/19)
