How secret deals could keep a COVID-19 drug out of reach for millions
(World News Science)

The American pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences is coming under scrutiny for agreements that activists say will restrict global access to remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug that has shown promise in treating COVID-19. The Foster City, Calif.-based company has signed confidential licensing deals with nine pharmaceutical manufacturers — including seven in India — that would prevent the generic version of the drug from being distributed in dozens of countries, including the U.S., that account for nearly half the world`s population. Activists and civil society organizations say the licenses allow Gilead to control the global supply of its patented drug even as the World Health...