releases: http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/price-negotiations-remdesivir
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/price-negotiations-remdesivir | Baldwin, Colleagues Request Information on HHS Price Negotiations for COVID-19 Antiviral Drug Remdesivir, Urge the Trump Administration to Ensure Access and Affordability | 2020-11-19 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | WI | Tammy Baldwin | B001230 | www.baldwin.senate.gov | legacy | 11.19.20 Baldwin, Colleagues Request Information on HHS Price Negotiations for COVID-19 Antiviral Drug Remdesivir, Urge the Trump Administration to Ensure Access and Affordability Senators Seek Use of Compulsory Licensing Authority to Cut Costs WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S.Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)joined SenatorsElizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN),BernieSanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH)to send aletter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar requesting an update on HHS pricing negotiations with Gilead Sciences, the maker of theCOVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir, including whether HHS plans to challenge Gilead's monopoly control of the drug in order to lower costs and ensure the treatment is accessible. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its first full approval for a COVID-19 therapeutic to Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, an antiviral drug that has demonstrated moderate effectiveness in shortening the median recovery time from 15 days to 11 days for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. In July, the lawmakersfirst raised questions with Secretary Azar about the exorbitant cost of the therapyfor U.S. insurers, consumers, and taxpayers, and have not yet received a response. Under an agreement with HHS, Gilead charged U.S. hospitals $3,200 per treatment coursefor Remdesivirthe highest price in the world, $860 more than other developed countries. That difference represented a revenue windfall for Gilead of nearly half a billion dollars under the company's agreement with HHS for half a million treatment courses. In their letter, the Senators urge the Trump administration to invoke its compulsory licensing authority under 28 USC 1498 which allows the federal government to authorize production of the drug. Gilead has licensed generic manufacturers to produce the drug for other countries, further driving down the price abroad, and the federal government canand shoulddo the same in the United States,the senators wrote. In addition to requesting a response to their July 16 letter, the Senators asked a series of questionsregarding HHS's current status of pricing negotiations with Gilead, and whether officials plan to use the federal procurement and production authorities available under theCARES Actand theDefense Production Actto ensure access to the drug. The senators have requested a response to their letter no later than November 30, 2020. Full text of the letter is availablehere. Print Email Tweet Previous Press Release | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |