Which country can make Gilead’s Covid-19 drug remdesivir license free?

Team Udayavani, May 8, 2020, 12:15 PM IST

Gilead Sciences is in talks with chemical and drug makers to produce its experimental drug remdesivir, a potential coronavirus treatment, for Europe, Asia, after the drug recently received US Food & Drug Administration authorisation for emergency use in coronavirus disease

However, as per international trade rules allow least-developed countries (LDCs) as defined by the United Nations as to ignore the patent and make drugs such as remdesivir more affordable for them.

The countries are Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia.

Out of these 47 countries 36 here belong to the WTO and qualify for a waiver on drug patents under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

India can issue a compulsory local license to make and sell a drug in circumstances such as public need or if a patented drug is not available at an affordable price.