As speculation mounts over pricing for remdesivir, a Gilead Sciences (GILD) executive suggested the experimental medicine will likely sell for much less than the nearly $30,000 it was recently valued at in a cost-effectiveness model, according to a Wall Street analyst.
At the same time, the drug maker believes remdesivir has the potential to become a “multi-year commercial opportunity,” rather than provide just a surge in sales for a year or two, Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges wrote in an investor note sent on Monday that summarized a conversation he had with Gilead chief financial officer Andrew Dickinson.
These observations underscore two noteworthy points. One is that Gilead is still searching for a way to ensure its Covid-19 medicine is accessible to wide swaths of the global population. The issue extends to any drug or vaccine, actually, but the drug maker is under particular scrutiny given a track record of clashes with payers and patient groups over pricing for HIV and hepatitis C treatments.
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