Shafaq News / The maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients, says it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries.

Gilead’s chief executive, Dan O’Day, told The Associated Press, “We’re in uncharted territory with pricing a new medicine, a novel medicine, in a pandemic", adding, “We believe that we had to really deviate from the normal circumstances” and price the drug to ensure wide access rather than based solely on value to patients, he said.

While in 127 poor/middle-income countries, Gilead allowed generic makers to supply the drug; two countries are doing that for around $600 per treatment course.

O'Day said that the treatment courses that the company has donated to the U.S. and other countries will run out in a few days. After that, the mentioned prices will apply to the drug.