Warren and Sanders Rip Trump for ‘Windfall’ Deal Given to Gilead For Remdesivir

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and several other Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s administration for its “windfall” deal with Gilead Sciences to acquire the vast majority of the pharmaceutical company’s supply of the drug Remdesivir.

In the letter addressed to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Democratic lawmakers noted multiple concerns about the deal, which will give Gilead up to $500 million for the antiviral drug.

Citing the $70 million in taxpayer dollars spent to develop and test the drug, the lawmakers are arguing that the deal is “bad for taxpayers, terrible for public health, and unethical.”

“Outside analysts have concluded that ‘The deal is amazingly good for Gilead’s executives and shareholders and amazingly bad for everyone else — bad for taxpayers, terrible for public health, and unethical,’” the lawmakers wrote.

The Democratic lawmakers are requesting some form of an outline detailing the steps Trump’s administration has taken to ensure the drug supply.

The letter continued, “We are therefore requesting information from the Department to help us better understand why President Trump — or whichever Administration officials were responsible — would strike such an expensive deal, and what steps the Administration is taking to ensure sufficient supply of the drug.”