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Pricing plans revealed for now COVID-19 treatment

Gilead Sciences announces pre-order pricing plans for coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment, remdesivir, to be offered to patients starting in July. The pharmaceutical company will be donating doses to the U.S. government after authorizing emergency use in May.

Gilead Sciences are set to price remdesivir for U.S. private insurance companies for $520 per vial and for governments “of developed countries” around the world for $390 per vial. Gilead Sciences wants to offer pricing options for all economic classes for everyone to access including lower prices for government programs like Medicare.

This pharmaceutical company will be offering remdesivir to everyone whether or not have a patient has insurance with some uninsured to be covered under the provisions of the CARES Act. People who are privately insured will have out-of-pocket costs to be determined by certain insurance plans.

Covid-19 Drug Remdesivir to Cost $3,120 for Typical Patient on Private Insurance

"Under the company’s plans, Gilead will charge a higher price for patients with private insurance in the U.S., and a lower price for U.S. government health programs"
https://t.co/JZmEPP2Y0g

— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) June 29, 2020

Gilead Sciences will provide remdesivir at a lower cost through agreements with generic manufacturers. A majority of patients being treated with remsesivir will need six vials over a five-day treatment plan. Prices for the five-day treatment will cost $3,120 for commercial insurance patients and $2,340 for government cost patients.

Some patients will require a longer, 10-day treatment and needed 11 vials that can cost $5,720 for a U.S. patient with private insurance or a patient with government costs of $4,290. Scientists are seeing success in recovery time treating severely ill COVID-19 patients with remdesivir, but the FDA has yet to officially approve any COVID-19 treatments.

This COVID-19 treatment is expected to save nearly $12,000 per patient due to early hospital discharge with recovery from the remdesivir treatment. Gilead Sciences is continuing testing and developing a better course of treatment for higher chances of recovery.