Gilead is at it again.

Back in March — following pressure from Public Citizen and others — the pharmaceutical giant backed down from an immoral scheme to expand its monopoly on remdesivir as the medication began showing promise as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

Now, Public Citizen is revealing that Gilead — along with Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services — has been all but ignoring a similar drug, GS-441524, that may be a better option.

Why would Big Pharma and the Trump administration sit on GS-441524 while aggressively pursuing remdesivir?

Neither the company nor Trump is saying.

But we do know this: Gilead’s patent for GS-441524 expires many years before its patent for remdesivir.

In other words, remdesivir could be far more profitable for the company — even if it turns out to be less effective at helping people survive the coronavirus.

Gilead’s revenue topped $22 billion last year. (If you made $100,000 a DAY, it would still take over 600 YEARS to make that much.)

Yet the company may be putting its profits before people’s lives.

Tell Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day:

If your company is sidelining GS-441524 to make more money with remdesivir — as humanity suffers through the worst public health crisis in at least a century — shame on you. Stop it right now. And if there is some other reason you’re prioritizing remdesivir over GS-441524, tell us why.

Thanks for taking action.

Stay safe.

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

P.S. Public Citizen — like many nonprofits and other small businesses — is feeling the financial strain of the coronavirus emergency. If you can, please consider donating to support the critical work we’re doing together. Thank you.
 
 
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