It's not just a good deal for survival, either, it's worth an accounting profit to the hospitals:
> On average, the drug should help reduce hospital costs by $12,000 a patient, said [Chief Executive Daniel O’Day]. Gilead estimated the savings based on data showing that each day of hospitalization costs $3,000 and that patients taking remdesivir are discharged four days sooner than those receiving standard treatment, Mr. O’Day said.
You are do not live in developing world, like I do. Hosptal costs to treat a single patient here is below $3000. So Remdesevir here is completely unaffordable.
Well if you're in the developing world, you will benefit from Gilead's use of price discrimination.
> The company said it has entered into agreements with generic manufacturers to provide the drug at a “substantially lower cost” in developing countries.
Drug companies don't charge american prices outside of this country - they barely charge sticker price within this country. Whatever country you live in in the developing world, the price that Gilead sets for you will undoubtedly be used by politicians here in the US to attack Gilead for overcharging here, asking how it is that they charge thousands of dollars in the US while they only charge a few bucks or even zero dollars through royalty free licensing in [insert country here].
> On average, the drug should help reduce hospital costs by $12,000 a patient, said [Chief Executive Daniel O’Day]. Gilead estimated the savings based on data showing that each day of hospitalization costs $3,000 and that patients taking remdesivir are discharged four days sooner than those receiving standard treatment, Mr. O’Day said.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-drug-remdesivir-to-cos...