Who owns the coronavirus cure? China’s move to patent Gilead’s experimental drug for the novel virus could lead to legal wrangle
- Institute of Virology in Wuhan, the epicentre of the global coronavirus outbreak, filed a patent for Gilead’s remdesivir antiviral drug on January 21
- In a statement to the Post, California-based Gilead said it applied for a global patent in 2016, including in China, for using the drug to treat all coronavirus-linked illnesses
China has applied to patent a drug candidate being developed by Gilead Sciences as the government rushes to find the cure for the deadly coronavirus, a move that could raise questions on intellectual property and marketing rights.
“Since these compounds have [separately] been used in human patients with a safety track record and shown to be effective against various ailments, we suggest that they should be assessed in human patients suffering from the novel coronavirus disease,” the researchers wrote.
The viral outbreak has triggered panic across the globe, forcing the nation to lock down Wuhan and other cities in central Hubei province where the deadly virus originated. It has also forced companies to shut their businesses in the mainland, forced border controls and rattled global markets.