VOA慢速英语2020 新冠神药瑞德西韦单疗程定价2340美元（在线收听）

Gilead Sciences said Monday it will charge $2,340 for usual treatment of remdesivir, a drug that is used to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients. However, critics have called the price "an outrage" because of the amount taxpayers invested toward its development.

吉利德科学公司周一表示将对瑞德西韦的常规治疗收费2340美元，该药物用于缩短重症新冠肺炎患者的康复时间。但是，批评人士称该价格太夸张，因为纳税人为其开发投入了巨额资金。

The drug maker said Monday that price would be for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries. For patients with private health insurance, the price would be $3,120. The amount that patients actually pay themselves could be lower.

这家制药商周一表示，该价格适用于美国及其它发达国家政府医疗保险的覆盖人群。对于拥有私人健康保险的患者，价格将是3120美元。患者自身承担的实际费用可能会更低。

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."

吉利德公司首席执行官丹·奥戴对美联社表示，“我们正处于对一种新药定价的未知领域，这是大流行中的一种新药。”

He added that the company had to price the drug to ensure more people can get them rather than based only on value to patients.

他还表示，该公司对该药物的定价必须确保更多人可以获得这种药物，而不是仅仅基于它对患者的价值。

O'Day said the treatments that the company has given to the U.S. and other countries will run out in about a week. The prices will apply to the drug after that.

奥戴表示，该公司提供给美国以及其它国家的治疗药物将在一个星期内耗完。之后该价格将适用于这种药物。

In the U.S., federal health officials have shared the limited supply with states. But the agreement with Gilead will end after September. They said Monday that the U.S. government has received more than 500,000 additional treatments. Gilead will begin production in July to supply hospitals through September.

美国联邦卫生官员已经向各州分发了这种药品的有限供应。但是政府与吉利德公司的协议将在9月后到期。他们周一表示，美国政府已经收到超过50万份额外的治疗药物。吉利德公司将于7月开始生产并向医院提供直至9月份。

O'Day said there will be enough supply of remdesivir. He added, "but we have to make sure it's in the right place at the right time."

奥戴表示，瑞德西韦将会供应充足。他还表示，“但是我们必须确保它在适当的时机出现在适当的位置。”

In 127 poor or middle-income countries, Gilead is permitting other drug makers to supply the drug. Two countries are doing that for about $600 for each treatment.

在127个中低收入国家，吉利德允许其它制药商供应这种药物。有两个国家如此操作，每次治疗费用约为600美元。

Remdesivir became the first medicine to show benefit in treating COVID-19. The disease has killed more than 500,000 people worldwide in six months.

瑞德西韦成为了第一种在治疗新冠肺炎中显示出益处的药物。这种疾病在6个月内已经导致全球50万人死亡。

Remdesivir restricts the coronavirus's ability to copy its genetic material. In a U.S. government-led study, the drug shortened recovery time by 31 percent. Patients recovered in 11 days on average versus 15 days for those given just usual care. It had not improved survival according to early results after two weeks of follow-up. Results after four weeks are expected soon.

瑞德西韦可以限制新冠病毒复制其遗传物质的能力。在美国政府主导的一项研究中，该药物将康复时间缩短了31%。患者平均需要11天时间康复，而接受常规治疗的患者平均需要15天时间康复。根据早期研究结果，，这种药物在经过两周跟踪研究后显示其并未提高生存率。四周之后的研究结果有望很快公布。

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is a nonprofit group that studies drug prices. The group said remdesivir would be cost-effective between $4,580 and $5,080 if it saved lives. But recent news that a less costly drug called dexamethasone improves survival means remdesivir should be priced between $2,520 and $2,800.

临床与经济评论研究所是一家研究药物价格的非盈利组织。该组织表示，如果能挽救性命，瑞德西韦的价格定在4580至5080美元之间最划算。但是最近有消息称，一种名为地塞米松的廉价药物可以提高生存率，这意味着瑞德西韦的价格应该定在2520到2800美元之间。

"This is a high price for a drug that has not been shown to reduce mortality," Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic said in an email. "Given the serious nature of the pandemic, I would prefer that the government take over production and distribute the drug for free."

克利夫兰诊所的史蒂文·尼森博士在电邮中表示，“对于一种尚未证实可以降低死亡率的药物来说，这个价格太贵了。”他说，“考虑到这种流行病的严重程度，我希望政府接管生产并免费分发这种药物。”

Peter Maybarduk is a lawyer at the consumer group Public Citizen. He called the price "an outrage."

彼得·梅巴尔杜克是消费者组织“公共公民”的律师。他称该定价是“一种暴行。”

"This is a drug that received at least $70 million" from the government toward its development, he said. "Remdesivir should be in the public domain."

他说，这种药物至少从政府那里获得了7千万美元用于研发，瑞德西韦应该用于公共领域。

Gilead says it will have spent $1 billion on developing and making the drug by the end of this year.

吉利德表示，到今年年底，该公司将花掉10亿美元用于这种药物的研发和生产。

The drug can be used for emergencies in the U.S., and Gilead has asked for full approval.

这种药物可用于美国的紧急情况，吉利德公司已经申请获得完全批准。