AG Peterson Joins Coalition Urging Increase Access To Remdesivir

LINCOLN- Attorney General Doug Peterson has joined a bipartisan multi state coalition in sending a letter request to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, urging them to use their legal authority under the Bayh-Dole Act to increase the availability of remdesivir.

According to the group, Remdesivir, a drug manufactured by Gilead Sciences, Inc., has shown promising results in reducing mortality and hospitalization from COVID-19. As of Monday, more than 4.64 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and 154,000 have died. Yet, by the end of this year, Gilead is expected to produce only two million treatments, or enough remdesivir to cover about half of the currently confirmed COVID-19 patients in the U.S.

The group says if the agencies are unwilling to exercise this authority, the states request the agencies assign this authority for the states to use.