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WORLD NEWS Thursday 2 July 2020
Health experts slam U.S. deal for large supply of virus drug

By MARIA CHENG stock to only one coun-
AP Medical Writer try. It's very strange and
LONDON (AP) — Public quite inappropriate," he
health experts on Wednes- said. "Right now we have
day criticized the U.S. for enough to make it through
securing a large supply of the summer if the intake of
the only drug licensed so patients is as it is now. If a
far to treat COVID-19. second wave comes, we
The U.S. government an- may be challenged."
nounced this week that it Dr. Michael Ryan, the
had an agreement with emergencies chief of the
Gilead Sciences to make World Health Organization,
the bulk of their produc- said the agency was look-
tion of remdesivir available ing into the implications of
to Americans for the next the U.S. deal for remdesivir.
three months. The Depart- "There are many people
ment of Health and Human around the world who are
Services said it had secured very sick .... and we want to
500,000 treatments through ensure that everybody has
September, which amounts access to the necessary,
to all but 10% of production life-saving interventions."
in August and September. He said WHO was "fully
"To the extent possible, we committed" to working to-
want to ensure that any This is an April 30, 2020, file photo showing Gilead Sciences headquarters in Foster City, Calif. ward equitable access for
American patient who Associated Press such treatments.
needs remdesivir can get middle-income countries, ized with COVID-19 found likely under "certain politi- Gilead had been develop-
it," Health and Human Ser- Gilead is allowing generic that those who received cal pressures locally." ing remdesivir for years as
vices Secretary Alex Azar makers to supply the drug the treatment recovered British Prime Minister Bo- a viral treatment, with mil-
said in a statement. at much lower prices. quicker than those who ris Johnson's spokesman, lions in U.S. funding, before
Ohid Yaqub, a senior lec- In a statement Wednes- didn't. It is the only drug li- James Slack, declined to it was tried for coronavirus.
turer at the University of Sus- day, the California-based censed by both the U.S. criticize the United States The consumer group Pub-
sex, called the U.S. agree- Gilead said its agreement and the European Union as for the move. He said the lic Citizen estimates that at
ment "disappointing news." with the U.S. allows for un- a treatment for those with U.K. had a "sufficient stock" least $70 million in U.S. pub-
"It so clearly signals an un- needed supplies to be severe illness from the coro- of remdesivir for patients lic funding went to develop
willingness to cooperate sent to other countries. The navirus. who need it, but didn't remdesivir.
with other countries and company said it is "working Dr. Peter Horby, who is run- specify how much that On Monday, Gilead said
the chilling effect this has as quickly as possible" to en- ning a large study testing was. it will charge government
on international agree- able access worldwide. But several treatments for CO- Thomas Senderovitz, head insurance plans in all devel-
ments about intellectual it noted that U.S. is seeing a VID-19, told the BBC that of the Danish Medicines oped countries $2,340 for
property rights," Yaqub said significant rise in COVID-19 "a stronger framework" Agency, told Danish broad- a course of remdesivir and
in a statement cases, while "most EU and was needed to ensure fair caster DR that the move private U.S. insurers, $3,120.
Until now, Gilead had do- other developed countries prices and access to key could endanger Europeans Gilead has said it expects
nated the drug. That end- have reduced their levels medicines for people and and others down the road. to spend more than $1 bil-
ed Tuesday and Gilead this of disease considerably." nations around the world. "I have never seen any- lion by year's end on test-
week set the price for new Early studies testing rem- He said that as an Ameri- thing like that. That a com- ing and manufacturing of
shipments. In 127 poor or desivir in patients hospital- can company, Gilead was pany chooses to sell their remdesivir.q

Mexico celebrates start of new trade accord with U.S., Canada

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- Their supply chains are won Mexican elections two
ico celebrated the imple- deeply intertwined. During years ago. But the arrest in
mentation of a new free the COVID-19 pandemic, June of crusading Mexican
trade agreement with there was pressure from the labor lawyer Susana Prieto
Canada and the United U.S. government to allow on charges of inciting riot,
States that it hopes will lead some Mexican assembly threats and coercion has
to more investment in its plants to quickly reopen or cast a shadow over the
struggling economy. remain open to cause less new trade pact, which was
President Andrés Manuel interruption. supposed to improve pro-
Obrador will travel to Wash- "There are clear rules," López tections for workers rights.
ington July 8-9 to meet Obrador said Wednesday. United Steelworkers Inter-
with with President Donald "You can't have border clo- national President Tom
Trump and recognize the sures or tariff increases on Conway wrote that the ar-
achievement of the U.S.- products without a legal- rest of Prieto proves "that
Mexico-Canada accord. type procedure with the Mexico hasn't stopped the
López Obrador said the famous panels where rep- bullying of workers and In this Dec. 10. 2019 file photo, Mexico's Treasury Secretary Arturo
Herrera, left, standing next to Mexico's President Andres Manuel
accord, which replaces resentatives of the three their allies" Lopez Obrador, attend a trade agreement signing ceremony at
the North American Free countries participate." Lori Wallach, the director the National Palace in Mexico City.
Trade Agreement, will pro- Known as the USMCA in of Public Citizen's Global Associated Press
vide greater certainty to English, the new agree- Trade Watch, said "It's a ter-
the three countries in their ment began to be negoti- rible start that on day one transform trade, a lead- has spent weeks in jail on
commercial relationships. ated when López Obrador of a deal Trump said would ing Mexican labor lawyer trumped up charges."q