What is the future of Covid-19 pharmaceuticals?

Dr Reddy's remdesivir

Source: © Pallava Bagla/Corbis/Getty Images

Firms anticipate long-term markets for prevention and treatment

Sars-CoV-2 continues to infect millions of people worldwide and cause an estimated 10,000 deaths per day, as the US alone approaches one million dead. It is widely expected to become endemic, remaining in circulation for the foreseeable future, and continuing to cause substantial numbers of hospitalisations and deaths, especially among vulnerable groups. ‘Covid kills about tenfold more people than flu, based on historical information,’ says Penny Ward, professor of pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London, UK.