Shortage of Covid-19 drug remdesivir in many EU countries

AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS • European countries are facing shortages of a Covid-19 drug, remdesivir, because limited supplies are running out, officials said, with cases surging and the United States having bought up most of drugmaker Gilead's output.

Gilead chief commercial officer Johanna Mercier has said it expects by next week to be able to fulfil orders coming through Europe and meet real-time global demand for remdesivir by the end of the month.

She said the company is working with European Union regulators so that remdesivir can be distributed more widely, but without having to go through the country-by-country economic review process typically required before a pharmaceutical product can be sold in Europe.

In July, the 27 EU countries and Britain, with a combined population of 500 million, secured doses to treat about 30,000 patients.

The US has signed a deal for more than 500,000 courses of treatment, accounting for most of Gilead's output through September.

"Remdesivir has run out," said Dutch Health Ministry spokes-man Martijn Janssen, adding, however, that new deliveries are expected shortly.

Gilead's Ms Mercier said: "We want to make sure that there is not only enough supply to go around, but more importantly, that everybody has access to it across Europe."

The antiviral drug has been shown to shorten hospital recovery time in severe cases of Covid-19.

Remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone are the only drugs authorised in Europe to treat Covid-19. Both have been given to US President Donald Trump, who is also receiving an experimental antibody cocktail.

Hospitalisations across Europe have been rapidly increasing, although in most countries still far below levels of the spring.

"Due to the increased hospital admissions, the demand for remdesivir is increasing rapidly," said the Dutch Health Ministry spokesman.

Poland's Health Minister Adam Niedzielski on Tuesday said the drug was in short supply in some of the country's hospitals. Its latest shipment from the EU order arrived just last Friday.

Spain, which has Europe's highest infection rate, experienced shortages in late August, said its medicine agency. It has now enough doses to meet needs for the coming weeks, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

Britain, which has joined the EU procurement for remdesivir, has rationed its supply, prioritising Covid-19 patients who need it most, the health ministry said.

Shortages are likely to stir debate about the availability and pricing of Covid-19 drugs. While dexamethasone, a generic medicine, is widely available and cheap, remdesivir is protected by Gilead's patent.

The company has set a price of US$2,340 (S$3,200) per patient for wealthier nations. It says it has also donated treatments for research and to treat hundreds of thousands of patients around the world.

A spokesman for the European Commission, which negotiates medical supply deals on behalf of EU states during the pandemic, was not immediately available for a comment about shortages.

The EU executive is discussing with Gilead a new supply deal that was meant to be sealed by late September or this month "to prevent a delivery gap", a commission official told health experts from EU governments at a meeting in mid-September, minutes show.

The supplies secured so far by the EU were supposed to cover needs until the end of September. Several officials said new deliveries are expected shortly.

Gilead has expanded its production capacity. Last week, it said it was meeting US demand and expected to cover global needs this month, even in the event that Covid-19 cases surge again.

Available doses in the EU have so far been divided according to the number of cases and hospitalisation rates.

But not all EU states face shortages. Germany's health ministry said its remdesivir stocks were sufficient for the coming months.

REUTERS