Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the company will donate 100,000 vials of Veklury® (remdesivir) to help address the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia and 3,000 vials of Veklury to help patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Armenia.
“As cases of COVID-19 surge again around the world, and the pandemic continues to affect the lives of so many, we remain focused on ensuring that our medicines can reach patients that need them,” said Johanna Mercier, Chief Commercial Officer, Gilead Sciences. “These donations are the latest example of our ongoing commitment, and we will continue to work together with governments, health authorities and our voluntary licensing partners to ensure access to our medicines as quickly as possible.”
The Veklury donations will complement the supply of generic remdesivir provided through Gilead’s voluntary licensing program. Gilead is working closely with distributor partners and directly with the governments of Armenia and Indonesia to coordinate these donations.
Gilead has previously donated over 450,000 vials of Veklury to India and 10,000 vials of Veklury to Georgia. Veklury is approved or authorized for temporary use in approximately 50 countries worldwide. Gilead’s voluntary licensing program provides long-term licenses to nine manufacturers, to enable access to generic remdesivir in 127 countries, most of which are low- and low-middle income countries, including Indonesia and Armenia. These licenses remain royalty-free, reflecting Gilead’s existing commitment to enabling broad patient access to remdesivir. Veklury and generic remdesivir have been made available to more than seven million patients around the world, including five million people in middle- and low-income countries through our voluntary licensing program.
About Veklury (remdesivir)
Veklury (remdesivir) is a nucleotide analog invented by Gilead, building on more than a decade of the company’s antiviral research. Veklury is the antiviral standard of care for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. At this time, more than half of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States are treated with Veklury. Veklury is approved or authorized for temporary use in approximately 50 countries worldwide. Veklury has broad-spectrum antiviral activity both in vitro and in vivo in animal models against multiple emerging viral pathogens, including Ebola, SARS, Marburg, and MERS.
Veklury directly inhibits viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 by targeting the viral RNA polymerase inside of the cell. On entering the body Veklury is transformed into the active metabolite remdesivir triphosphate, which is then incorporated into the viral RNA and stops replication of the virus within the host cell. No known variations have significantly altered the viral RNA polymerase. All known novel virus variants show mutations at different locations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is on the outer surface of the virus and can cause decreased affinity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Veklury’s antiviral activity has been tested against isolates of variants of SARS-CoV-2 including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. These laboratory findings suggest that Veklury will continue to be active against the currently identified variations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In the U.S., Veklury® (remdesivir 100 mg for injection) is indicated for adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older and weighing at least 40 kg) for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. Veklury should only be administered in a hospital or in a healthcare setting capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care. Veklury is contraindicated in patients who are allergic to Veklury or any of its components. For more information, please see the U.S. full Prescribing Information available at www.gilead.com
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic; the manufacturing and distribution of remdesivir; and the voluntary licensing program for remdesivir. These and other risks are described in detail in Gilead’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Gilead, and Gilead assumes no obligation and disclaims any intent to update any such forward-looking statements.
U.S. full Prescribing Information for Veklury is available at www.gilead.com.
Veklury, Gilead and the Gilead logo are registered trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.
For more information about Gilead, please visit the company’s website at www.gilead.com, follow Gilead on Twitter (@Gilead Sciences) or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or 1-650-574-3000.
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