Dexamethasone Won’t Become A Cheaper Alternative To Remdesivir

By  Ariel Cohen, Inside Health Policy

Dexamethasone, an inexpensive generic drug, can’t be substituted for Gilead’s higher-priced remdesivir when treating hospitalized coronavirus patients, doctors and analysts say, because the two drugs treat patients at different stages of COVID-19. A course of remdesivir costs up to $3,200, Gilead announced on Monday (June 29). Dexamethasone costs roughly $39 for 6 tablets. But pharmacists and drug policy academics don’t expect generic steroids such as dexamethasone to cut into sales of remdesivir. Remdesivir and dexamethasone are meant to be used...