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<ul><li>A single vial of Remdesivir is being sold for ₹30,000 on the black market in India. This is ten times the retail price.</li><li>Even if you’re willing to cough up the exorbitant amount, there’s still a chance that someone with deeper pockets could outbid you.</li><li>The circulation of Remdesivir in the black market extends right from the distributor to doctors in smaller private hospitals.</li></ul>The black market for drugs that could treat COVID-19 is surging in India, especially when it comes to Remdesivir. A single vial is going for up to ₹30,000. So, if a critical patient needs six vials for treatment, which is the norm, they would have to shell out ₹1,80,000 in order to procure the required dosage. That’s more than ten times the price on the regulated market. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Name of the company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Brand name for Remdesivir </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maximum retail price (MRP) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Cadila Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">REMDAC </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹899 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Syngene International </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">RemWin </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,450 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dr Reddy’s Laboratories </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">REDYX </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,700 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Cipla </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">CIPREMI </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,000 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mylan Pharmaceuticals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DESREM </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,400 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jubilant Generics </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">JUBI-R </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,400 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hetero Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">COVIFOR </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,490 </td></tr></tbody></table> Remdesivir is not proven to help in recovery from the Coronavirus, but it is one of the few treatment methods that has been approved by the Indian government. "There are very few drugs which have been authorised by the government. Remdesivir is one of them, even though there is no certainty that this will work or not," a doctor at a government hospital in India told Business Insider. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="You maybe ready to pay a higher price — but you could still be outbid" comment="subhead" text="You maybe ready to pay a higher price — but you could still be outbid">You maybe ready to pay a higher price — but you could still be outbid</cmsannotation> Hansa’s (named changed to protect identity) uncle is in Delhi, in a critical condition, and the doctors have prescribed Remdesivir in hopes of treatment. The only problem is that no licensed pharmacy in Delhi seems to have it in stock. “We were supposed to get six vials in the morning for ₹35,000 through a doctor contact. Turns out somebody was ready to pay ₹50,000 for them and the vials went to them,” she told Business Insider India. “Another doctor told us that procured six vials for ₹80,000 for another patient.” And these prices are just the lower end of the stick. Aakash (named changed) told Business Insider he can procure a single vial for ₹30,000. In the bargaining process, he did highlight that vials are also available for ₹15,000 to ₹26,000 apiece, but not in Delhi. Anyone who wanted Remdesivir at those prices would have to procure it from outside the city. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to buy Remdesivir on the black market?" comment="subhead" text="How to buy Remdesivir on the black market?">How to buy Remdesivir on the black market?</cmsannotation> Just like with other deals on the black market, what matters is who you know. The right connections and the right amount of trust can open a lot of doors. For the common man, the best bet is just to keep in touch with their doctors. Doctors know everyone down the supply chain and can help a patient, who is truly in need, get in touch with a supplier who may possibly have Remdesivir. Someone who doesn’t have a well-connected doctor is likely to reach out within his friend’s group. And, eventually, someone will know someone, who may be able to get them in touch with a supplier. But trust has a greater role to play here. “The first question he asked me was, who needs it? I told him it was for someone special, who can be trusted. He only agreed to let me have the vials if I could vouch for my friend,” Aakash told Business Insider. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The private hospital game" comment="subhead" text="The private hospital game">The private hospital game</cmsannotation> Sources who have bought Remdesivir by getting in touch with their doctors insist that doctors are not taking a commission. But distributors on the other end of the supply chain have a different story to tell. According to workers at distribution companies, doctors at government hospitals are prepared to treat patients even with alternative medicines available in the market — like steroids, which have proven to be effective in patients with moderate and severe symptoms. But, when it comes to private hospitals, especially smaller ones in semi-urban cities, healthcare workers are paid such meagre salaries. According to sources, selling medicines on the side or making medicines disappear overnight so that the patient is forced to buy more, is the norm. “When you know there are alternatives available in the market, then why aren’t doctors recommending that patients go for them. Why are they insisting on Remdesivir?” an employee at the distribution company told Business Insider. “In most cases, especially in smaller cities, the doctors are involved.” According to him, all the doctor has to say is that Remdesivir is a superior option to other medication, and the patient or his loved one is obviously going to try and get the ‘best’ option in a situation of crisis. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The black market supply chain" comment="subhead" text="The black market supply chain">The black market supply chain</cmsannotation> All doses of Remdesivir, no matter what brand, are going to come from the big seven pharmaceutical giants in India currently manufacturing the vials. These pharmaceutical companies send the medicine to the distributors, who are in turn supposed to dole out the doses to licensed pharmacies. But that’s where things get a little murky. Distributors do give a certain portion of the shipment to pharmacies because they need those records on their books, but the rest of the stock is given to people who are in his known circle. So, when someone comes looking for Remdesivir, the distributor directs them to one of the people within his circle who may have hoarded some of the doses. And, going to a third party, who is not a license holder, makes it a black market deal. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/policy/article/if-the-covid-19-vaccine-prices-are-too-high-for-some-then-why-not-use-direct-benefit-transfer/articleshow/82200370.cms">If the COVID-19 vaccine prices are too high for some, then why not use direct benefit transfer</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/while-covid-19-is-making-millions-gasp-for-breath-in-india-state-administrations-are-trying-to-hoard-oxygen/articleshow/82199390.cms">The COVID-19 crisis in India is getting worse with state administrations trying to hoard oxygen</a>

Inside the treacherous black market for Remdesivir in India— from private hospitals to distributors

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A variant of <keyword id="8775508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="remdesivir">remdesivir</keyword>, one of the most promising treatments for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, has for more than a year been sold as a treatment for sick cats via a black market connected to big Facebook groups.</li><li>The drug, called <keyword id="9365602" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gs-441524">GS-441524</keyword>, is being sold as a purported cure for Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is caused by a <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>, the same family of pathogen that causes COVID-19 in humans. </li><li>Despite not being licensed as a treatment for <keyword id="759794" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fip">FIP</keyword> by the Food and Drugs Administration, the drug is being sold to US consumers by Chinese firms, with courses sold for up to $10,000.</li><li>The transactions do not take place on Facebook's platform, but large cat owner groups have banded together to connect buyers to sellers, and attempt to screen the drug for purity.</li><li>An academic who pioneered using the drug on cats says that a black market is the only option because pharma giant Gilead, which has the rights to GS, will not license it for use in cats.</li><li>Critics say the unlicensed trade can lead to dangerous, low-quality drugs which could even find their way into human use.</li></ul>As the world seeks a way out the coronavirus crisis, there are hopes that the drug remdesivir may provide part of the solution.The drug is already being used on seriously ill patients after being fast-tracked by medical authorities in the US, though <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/07/health/remdesivir-donation-runs-out-coronavirus/index.html">supplies are limited</a> and it may be some time before it becomes more widely available. Business Insider can reveal that a black-market version of the drug, known as GS, is already being used by pet owners to treat a rare but deadly disease suffered by cats.Unlicensed doses of GS — sold in liquid form and distributed in vials — are available through an extensive network of online vendors in China created to serve worried pet owners.<div type="image" title="Remdesivir2 by Getty Images" height="768" width="1024" msid="76260293" hostid="261"></div>Thousands of owners with sick cats have banded together in closed Facebook groups, which connect buyers and sellers, and make efforts to screen shipments for purity.Though no money is exchanged via Facebook, the network acts as a conduit through which people can access the unlicensed drug. A Facebook spokesperson directed Business Insider to the site's policies, which ban the sale of illegal or prescription drugs on the platform, and encourage users to report drug sales. It also said it is using automated technology to scan and identify instances. Business Insider has seen price lists from vendors of the drug suggesting that it is being sold for as much as $10,000 a course, and sent to the US under the guise of a dietary supplement.Some people have also tried to buy it as a backstreet coronavirus remedy for human use, but it is not clear how widespread this is.The cat disease in question is Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Cats with FIP suffer fever, weight loss and breathing difficulties, and nearly always die.It's caused by a type of a coronavirus — the same family of pathogen that causes COVID-19 in humans. Though they are genetically related, the FIP coronavirus does not cause COVID-19, and vice-versa.The drug being used to treat it is GS-441524, or GS for short. It is being marketed and sold by companies based in China, which ship it to the US.Emeritus Professor Niels Pedersen, a veterinary <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> expert at University of California Davis, says he personally pioneered its use on cats.Pedersen reluctantly supports cat owners seeking to administer the drug to their pets, since there is no legal way to acquire the drug. He told Business Insider that FIP is "now 80% or more curable" with GS.Professor Margaret Hosie, an FIP researcher at the University of Glasgow, told Business Insider that she too had heard anecdotal reports of GS being effective. The closed Facebook groups are also full of stories of GS working.But the Food and Drugs Administration told Business Insider it has not licensed GS-441524 as a treatment for FIP, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/enforcement-activities-fda/unapproved-drugs">which means it is illegal to sell it as such in the US</a>.Some sites market it instead as a human dietary supplement, Pedersen said, which allows it to be shipped to the US.One campaigner, Anna Mitchell, who has spent a year investigating the GS black market, has called for it to be closed down. Mitchell started to investigate after her own cat got FIP, she told Business Insider."However the injections, the web of lies [about the effectiveness of the drug] and the misinformation is rampant," she said."And I am also worried that pretty soon the model we are seeing develop could spread to [unlicensed treatments for] other feline diseases and also human diseases."Oksana Pyzik, a senior teaching fellow in the School of Pharmacy at University College London, is an expert on the illegal pharmaceuticals market. She told Business Insider that the batches of GS being produced in China could be dangerous."Any medicine that has not been properly investigated for its quality means that we don't know what is inside, whether it is contaminated, whether it has any of the active pharmaceutical ingredients it claims to have," she said.<h2>In Facebook groups, desperate pet owners speak of a "miracle cure" </h2><div type="image" title="Cat2 by Getty Images" height="1500" width="2000" msid="76260297" hostid="261"></div>Facebook groups with thousands of members have have developed in response to the spread of FIP. In the groups, members exchange support and advice on how to treat cats with the disease — and stories of what they claim are the amazing curative powers of GS.Members speak often of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=pedersen+study+FIP&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB838GB838&amp;oq=pedersen+study+FIP&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.4745j0j8&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">a promising February 2019 field study</a> by Pedersen, the UC Davis professor.A field study is a collection of information outside a lab setting. In Pedersen's study he dosed 31 cats suffering FIP with GS. 25 survived and recovered. Robin Kintz, who started the 23,000-member group FIP Warriors, told Business Insider: "When my kitten Henry was diagnosed in February of 2019, I searched the internet for answers and solutions."I came across Dr. Pedersen's research using GS-441525 and then went onto Facebook searching for sources of this miracle drug."GS-441525 was used in clinical trials on humans while the Ebola outbreak was raging in 2012. However, the trials failed.After this, Pedersen began experimenting to see if GS could work on animals, he told Business Insider. In an email, he said that GS and remdesivir are very similar, a conclusion <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352771420300380#!">backed by other researchers</a>.Pedersen said that he asked permission to legally make GS for cats, but was rejected by Gilead, the pharmaceuticals firm that owns the rights to it.Pedersen claims that Gilead is worried that allowing GS to be used on cats would harm its ability to profit from its use in humans. The company did not respond to several requests to comment. Pedersen said that desperate pet owners have been driven to the black market as a result.He is convinced the drug works, and claims that 10,000 cats worldwide have been treated for FIP using GS thanks to his research."This disease, which is virtually always fatal and accounts for 0.3-1.3% of all deaths of cats in the world, is now 80% or more curable with GS-441524," he said.Pedersen also referred to an earlier statement where he defended helping the black market groups.He wrote: "I will continue to provide as much advice as possible for owners and veterinarians using and contemplating the use of black-market GS and GC to treat cats with FIP."He told Business Insider that his veterinary oath compelled him to help pet owners administer the treatment. The statement continued: "I must make it clear that I would have preferred these drugs to be approved and commercialized in the normal manner. I am certain that this will happen within the next few years, and as it does, the black market demand for drugs like GS and GC will wane."<h2>Sold online for as much as $10,000 </h2>But Mitchell, the anti-black market campaigner, says that the support Pedersen has offered to individuals administering illegal GS has encouraged a potentially dangerous black market. "It ballooned in Facebook groups — specifically one that has become gigantic and is really the supply route between the manufacturers and their buyers in the US," she said.The cost of a course of treatment can come to about $10,000. The screenshot below shows the price for a course of 29 bottles, which Mitchell told Business Insider is the amount an owner might want to obtain to treat a serious FIP case.In messages posted inside a Facebook FIP group, cat owners spoke of similar prices.<div type="image" title="cat drug screenshot border" height="530" width="1482" msid="76260301" hostid="261"></div>Mitchell said: "I am surprised by how many people, even those without the money, find a way to acquire that drug, they will go into debt, they will do anything to save their cat. It is a huge, huge market."She said some owners report worrying side effects in their pets, including open sores and wounds from the injections. Other cats are said to relapse after seeing symptoms briefly improve. Kintz, the group administrator, said that some pets experience negative side-effects, but that the group makes efforts to screen batches for purity."Lesions and painful injections are the two most common side effects of the medication. Some sores are worse than others but all resolve with time," said Kintz."Early on when this group was formed, we were able to have several different 'brands' of GS vials tested in a reputable university lab and the results confirmed the biological activity of the GS," she said.Kintz also said the group asks for free batches from suppliers to give to owners who cannot afford the drug."They use the vials as a mini field trial. If the kitties get better, we know it is working."<h2>Humans who believe GS might be a coronavirus treatment seek it out in Facebook cat groups </h2>Recent clinical trials for remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 have been so encouraging that Gilead recently signed an agreement with several firms in India and Pakistan to increase production of the drug. However, a form of the drug is still not expected to be widely available on the legitimate market for many months.Pyzik, the pharmaceuticals expert, expressed concern that people pursuing a treatment for COVID-19 could seek out unlicensed forms on the black market. "It is incredibly serious to take a medicine when we don't understand the full nature of its effects in someone that has a coronavirus infection."Again, premature use can lead to a whole series of very serious side effects that can have long lasting disabilities for a person in the future," she said. Kintz said that some had inquired through her group about getting GS to treat COVID-19. "One or two people have reached [out] wanting to get GS for the human coronavirus but we have not gotten involved with that at all," she wrote.

People are paying as much as $10,000 for an unlicensed remdesivir variant for their cats, in a thriving black market linked to Facebook groups

<ul><li>Cipla will launch its version of Remdesivir in the next 1-2 days under the brand name 'Cipremi'.</li><li>The drug will be sold at an approximate price of ₹4,000 per vial.</li><li>Remdesivir is considered a key drug in the fight against Covid-19 as a randomised clinical trial conducted with the drug demonstrated faster clinical recovery in hospitalised patients.</li><li>The Union Health Ministry has asked all the states to strengthen their vigil, so that black marketing of Covid-19 drug Remdesivir is prevented.</li></ul>As India faces a shortage of Covid-19 drug Remdesivir, the pharmaceutical company Cipla said it will launch its version of Remdesivir in the next 1-2 days. <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/exclusive-as-india-faces-shortage-of-remdesivir-cipla-says-its-supplies-will-hit-market-in-next-1-2-days-6281911.htm">In an interview with CNBC TV18</a>, Kedar Upadhyay, Cipla’s CFO said that the Daman-based Sovereign Pharma had released the first batch of the drug from its manufacturing plant and Cipla will be selling it under the brand name 'Cipremi'. While Mumbai-based BDR Pharma holds the contract for manufacturing of Cipla’s Remdesivir, the company has further sub-contracted the manufacturing of the finished dosage and packaging to Daman-based Sovereign Pharma. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76747405" title="These are the companies manufacturing COVID-19 drug Remdesivir in India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> "We are attempting to launch Remdesivir in the next 1-2 days. We cannot comment on the volumes just as yet, but there is a huge demand-supply gap in the market," Upadhyay told CNBC TV18. However, <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/exclusive-as-india-faces-shortage-of-remdesivir-cipla-says-its-supplies-will-hit-market-in-next-1-2-days-6281911.htm">reports</a> say that Sovereign Pharma has the capacity to scale up production to 95,000 vials per month. Sovereign Pharma got all necessary approvals for manufacturing the drug within a week, after an inspection by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. The drug will be sold at an approximate price of ₹4,000 per vial. Upadhyay told CNBC that the company is also preparing to set up a Remdesivir manufacturing facility in-house. Remdesivir is considered a key drug in the fight against Covid-19. The drug’s popularity grew after a randomised clinical trial used the drug on 1,063 patients over 60 centres across US, Europe and Asia and saw faster clinical recovery in hospitalised patients. To expand the supply of Remdesivir, US-based Gilead earlier announced non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers based in India, Egypt and Pakistan. The agreements allow Cipla and other companies including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.; Hetero Labs Ltd.; Syngene, a Biocon company; and Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd. to manufacture Remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries. Government cracks down on Remdesivir black market The Union Health Ministry has asked all the states to take all measures to ensure that Remdesivir is not sold in the black market. The ministry acted upon it after t<a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/health-ministry-steps-in-to-curb-black-marketing-of-covid-drug/1888995">he Directorate General of Health Services said that it has received </a>a letter from LocalCircles routed through the Health Ministry, raising concerns over black marketing and overpricing of Remdesivir in certain markets. "In view of the above, you are requested to instruct your enforcement officials to keep strict vigil on the matter to prevent black marketing and sale of Remdesivir injection above the MRP," the DGHS said in the letter to the states. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-us-bought-up-90-of-the-worlds-supply-of-remdesivir-for-the-next-3-months-and-patents-mean-many-countries-wont-be-able-to-get-any/articleshow/76729248.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The US bought up 90% of the world's supply of remdesivir for the next 3 months, and patents mean many countries won't be able to get any</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/gilead-rises-after-pricing-its-coronavirus-fighting-drug-remdesivir/articleshow/76692239.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Gilead rises after pricing its coronavirus-fighting drug remdesivir</a>

Cipla says COVID-19 drug Remdesivir will hit market this week

<ul><li>Doctors are prescribing Remdesivir despite its uncertain impact but patients and kin are willing to try anything which gives them a ray of hope. </li><li>The demand has gone through the roof and manufacturers are struggling to keep up. </li><li>Bad folks are using the time to take advantage of the truly desperate as more patients queue up and the vicious cycle perpetuates.</li></ul>Remdesivir is not a proven treatment against COVID-19. Governments have said it, the courts have said it. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said and reiterated this fact. Yet, in India, people are rushing to the pharmacies and hospitals with prescriptions for the drug leading to a crunch in its supply. “People are buying Remdesivir because that’s what the doctors are prescribing,” Pragati Medical, a pharmacy in Hyderabad, told Business Insider. As COVID-19 claims more victims in its second surge, Remdesivir⁠ — currently a drug of last resort against the novel coronavirus⁠ — has become a hot property with its own black market where it could cost, sometimes, up to five times the price. Even Twitter is awash with people requesting vials of the drug to treat their loved ones currently in intensive care units (ICUs). Communication along the supply chain, from the manufacturers to the end consumer, has a lot left to desire and is adding to the chaos. <div type="twitter" handle="sanashakil_TNIE" handlename="Sana Shakil" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1369245158613549058/4U8pQwyz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4958" retweetcount="4686" status="This is a call for help. Urgently need #Remdesivir for my mother who's covid +ive and a chronic patient with Kartag… https://t.co/RwYsWYHxXl" createdat="1618398198000" id="1382288347356274688"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="sh27ank" handlename="Shashank" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1381201120517758979/25uGd8a2_normal.jpg" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" status="@tuhins @sukanyaiyer2 @OfficeofUT @Krunal_Goda Please help, I need the #Remdesivir injection urgently. My father is… https://t.co/2ZQ4GtmPqe" createdat="1618470118000" id="1382590003465768962"></div> The Indian government has been unable to include the <keyword id="9578500" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="remdesivir-injection">Remdesivir injection</keyword> under the Drug Control Act because it has not completed its clinical trials to establish its efficacy in treating COVID-19. Yet, doctors are prescribing it indiscriminately. “You should advise doctors not to prescribe the drug unless it is required,” said the <a href="https://twitter.com/barandbench/status/1382577986466029568">Gujarat High Court</a> on April 15, during a hearing about the surge in COVID-19 cases across the state. According to the court, the state needs to explain what the drug is, when to use it, where it should be procured, and whom it should be given to. “I don’t know whether it is a life-saving drug. But it has unnecessarily been seen as an Amrit [elixir],” the court said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Who is creating the hype behind Remdesivir?" comment="subhead" text="Who is creating the hype behind Remdesivir?">Who is creating the hype behind Remdesivir?</cmsannotation> In the <keyword id="6360101" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gujarat-high-court">Gujarat High Court</keyword> hearing, Justice BN Karia asked the attorney general if the hype behind Remdesivir was being created by the doctors. And that’s a valid question to ask. However, doctors may not have many options in hand for patients desperate to be healthy again. <div type="image" title="remdesivir4_edited" msid="82083871" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In Maharashtra&amp;#39;s Aurangabad, the administration has made it mandatory to conduct COVID RTP-CR tests before providing the Remdesivir injection to any patient&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “In the absence of any effective documented drug, what is the option left with doctors,” justifies Gulshan Haresh Bakhtiani, the founder of Wellness Forever, a chain of online pharmacy and medical stores. But he does admit that there is a shortage. “Shortage is there not because doctors are prescribing the drug. The shortage is there because manufacturing is not adequate,” said Bakhtiani. <div type="image" title="remdesivir5_edited" msid="82083945" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;People throng to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Surat with prescriptions for free Remdesivir injections on April 10&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> But the supply crunch is expected to ease up in the coming days. There are currently seven manufacturers of Remdesivir in the country — including Zydus Cadila, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharma, Viatris, and Cipla, who have all <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/ramping-production-of-remdesivir-to-meet-demand-pharma-firms/article34318614.ece">issued statements</a> to the effect of increasing production in the face of rising COVID-19 cases. “Remdesivir is not in as much short supply as it was four or five days ago. We have a good number of manufacturers in India and around seven days back, all of them increased manufacturing of the drug,” Bakhtiani told Business Insider. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Pharmaceutical companies say they have increased production — but the goods are yet to reach the end of the supply chain" comment="subhead" text="Pharmaceutical companies say they have increased production — but the goods are yet to reach the end of the supply chain">Pharmaceutical companies say they have increased production — but the goods are yet to reach the end of the supply chain</cmsannotation> “Right now Remdesivir is not available anywhere — there’s not even a single injection,” a manager at one of Haryana's medical wholesalers, Allied Medical Agency, told Business Insider. “It's not available in Hisar. It’s not available further inland. I have even spoken to people in Delhi and Chandigarh, there is no supply.” But that isn’t keeping people from offering up empty promises. In the case of Allied Medical Agency, the coordinator got in touch with someone willing to supply vials of Remdesivir for ₹4,800 apiece, almost five times the maximum retail price (MRP) of ₹900. In cross-checking the details before he made any payment, his other contacts informed him that the source is unlikely to have the stock — the source more likely to take the money but will only deliver the goods after a long period of time. <div type="image" title="remdesivir2_edited" msid="82083689" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;These vials of Remdesivir injections were being sold by a duo in Mumbai for &amp;#8377; 20,000 apiece&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The silence at the end of helplines Bigwig medicine manufacturers have also set up helplines to help people ascertain where they can procure COVID-19 drugs. However, when Business Insider called the Cipla helpline — not once but twice — there was nothing but a pre-recorded message that played on a loop for over five minutes, before the call was abruptly ended. <div type="image" title="Screenshot_20210415-160217_edited" msid="82083715" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Message from Cipla&amp;#39;s helpline after the call was abruptly cut &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The company did send an SMS to say that the call had been noted but they were unable to attend because their assistants are busy attending other patients, but no follow up has occurred since then. In the absence of a proven cure, patients would take anything that could possibly save their lives. So, doctors are prescribing Remdesivir despite its uncertain impact. The demand has gone through the roof and manufacturers are not able to keep up with the required pace to meet the demand. Bad folks are using the time to take advantage of the truly desperate. Meanwhile, more patients are queuing up and the vicious cycle perpetuates. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/macrotech-developers-ipo-check-share-allotment-date-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/82078222.cms">Macrotech Developers IPO — check share allotment date, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/coinbase-climbs-13-in-trading-debut-as-valuation-hovers-around-100-billion/articleshow/82072134.cms">Coinbase tumbles 19% in trading debut as valuation hovers around $100 billion</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/flipkart-acquires-cleartrip-in-an-effort-to-cement-its-position-in-the-travel-booking-segment/articleshow/82081931.cms">Flipkart acquires Cleartrip in an effort to cement its position in the travel booking segment</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/these-are-the-most-affected-cities-in-india-with-the-highest-number-of-cases-after-covid-19-second-wave/slidelist/82082660.cms">COVID-19: These are the most affected cities in India with the highest number of cases</a>

The utter chaos and confusion over Remdesivir in India is making the COVID-19 second wave worse

<ul class="summary-list"><li>All adults in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> can get vaccines starting May 1, but the shots may not be widely accessible.</li><li>India's government allows vaccine manufacturers to charge fees at private hospitals.</li><li>The cost could amount to $10 to $32 per vaccine - well above India's average daily income.</li></ul>The Indian government announced last week that all adults will be eligible to receive <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> vaccines starting May 1. But there's a catch: The shots won't be free everywhere.Healthcare workers, frontline workers, and Indians older than 45 can already get their shots through government vaccination centers at no cost. But under the nation's plan, the rest of India's adult population could be charged a fee at those same locations. Most Indian states have promised to waive costs for all adults at the sites, but that's not the case at private hospitals, which will continue to charge for vaccines. India's government has also given vaccine manufacturers permission to raise their prices in the open market.The nation's two main coronavirus vaccines, known as Covaxin and Covishield, are each offered to the federal government at 150 rupees ($2) per dose - or 300 rupees ($4) to fully vaccinate one person. (Covishield is India's locally produced version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while Covaxin is similar to China's Sinovac vaccine.)But Covishield's manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, said last week that the price would be different for state governments and private hospitals: The former will be charged 400 rupees ($5.35) per dose, and the latter 600 rupees ($8) per dose. And the maker of Covaxin, Bharat Biotech, <a href="https://twitter.com/BharatBiotech/status/1385994219475456000/photo/1">announced Saturday</a> that it plans to charge India's state governments 600 rupees ($8) per dose, and private hospitals 1,200 rupees ($16) per dose. That's between $10 and $32 per vaccine at wholesale prices - well above the average daily income in India. Private hospitals could ultimately ask consumers to pay even more.Charging for shots could prevent many Indians, particularly poorer residents, from getting vaccinated right away. That's especially detrimental given the country's devastating surge in coronavirus infections. India reported more than 350,000 new cases on Monday - the world's highest-ever daily total. The four daily caseloads before that shattered world records as well. Deaths in India have skyrocketed to more than 2,300 per day on average - the highest of any country, aside from Brazil.Even these unprecedented tallies likely underestimate the real number of cases and deaths, epidemiologist wager. Widespread testing shortages prevent India from quantifying the full scale of its outbreak - and a handful of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/world/asia/india-coronavirus-deaths.html">doctors</a>, local journalists, and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/even-record-death-toll-may-hide-extent-of-india-s-covid-crisis">relatives of the deceased</a> have reported that the official counts don't align with the long lines outside of hospitals, nor the bodies piling up at crematoriums. "If you ask me how many people are actually getting infected in India every day, I would say it's a least 1 million," Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, said in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAs40QV1gp0&amp;utm_source=Dean+Jha&amp;utm_campaign=f4ec7bfc08-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_10_03_12_18_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_e4fcd685bb-f4ec7bfc08-2244757667bfc08-224475766">a Monday webinar</a>.<h2>A slow vaccine rollout could mean even more death</h2><div type="image" title="COVID women vaccine line" height="2400" width="4305" msid="82281740" hostid="261"></div>More than any other country, India is in a race against the clock to get shots into arms. A <a href="https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america?view=total-deaths&amp;tab=trendrend">model</a> from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicts that India could see another 572,000 deaths between now and August 1. According to the model, India's daily cases have likely reached their peak already - but daily deaths won't peak until next month. The nation has thus far immunized less than 9% of its population since. Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told Insider that the current rate, he estimates just 20% of Indians will receive their first dose by mid-June.Rahul Gandhi, a member of the Indian National Congress, <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1384733889009229824">said last week</a> that because private hospitals are charging for shots, long lines are likely at the vaccine sites where residents don't have to pay."Enough of discussion. Countrymen should get the vaccine free. Do not make India the victim of the BJP system," Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1386539389887541249">tweeted on Sunday</a>, referring to India's opposing political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.The BJP is the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been accused of downplaying India's crisis. Modi held large election rallies and discouraged the implementation of more lockdowns as coronavirus cases surged this spring. <div type="image" title="lndia vaccine line " height="3287" width="4748" msid="82281742" hostid="261"></div>In <a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1712710">a recent press release</a>, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggested that charging for vaccines could give manufacturers more money to scale up production, or perhaps encourage new vaccine manufacturers to bring their shots to India.But Bramer Mukherjee, an epidemiology professor at the University of Michigan, told Insider that India already has the resources to ramp up its own vaccine supply."India is the vaccination production magnet in the world," Mukherjee said. "They should be able to scale up and be able to do much better job at this."<h2>A black market for vaccines?</h2><div type="image" title="India vaccine elderly" height="3728" width="5776" msid="82281746" hostid="261"></div>Many of India's low-income residents have already had trouble getting vaccines: A lack of internet access can make it difficult to sign up for appointments, and government-run vaccination centers aren't always easily accessible to those living in urban slums. Wealthy Indians, however, can purchase vaccines at private hospitals fairly easily. As of March, twice as many private hospitals were doubling as vaccination centers than government hospitals, <a href="https://qz.com/india/1983300/indias-poor-are-being-left-behind-in-coronavirus-vaccine-drive/">Quartz reported</a>. "Vaccinating just the affluent and urban elites will not be as effective or equitable as more targeted distribution to social and geographic hotspots," Prabhat Jha said.Already, Indian hospitals have price gouged medications like remdesivir, an antiviral drug that showed early promise as a COVID-19 treatment but appears less effective in recent studies. Although the government capped the price of remdesivir at 1,100 to 1,400 rupees (around $15 to $19) per unit, Indian police have arrested at least 14 people for selling remdesivir at higher prices on the black market, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/three-held-for-black-marketing-of-remdesivir-selling-vials-for-rs-32000-to-45000-per-unit-7288971/">according to The Indian Express</a>. In at least two of those cases, the drugs were being sold for 32,000 to 45,000 rupees (around $429 to $603) per unit. "There's a huge black market for remdesivir, and I'm worried that might happen for vaccines now as well," Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, told Insider. "If there's not enough supply and the demand keeps going up, then people start getting desperate."

India's vaccine providers can charge $10 to $32 for coronavirus shots amid the country's unprecedented surge

<keyword id="28168" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smartphone">Smartphone</keyword> maker <keyword id="1731609" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oppo">OPPO</keyword> on Friday said that it is all set to launch A74 5G in India on April 20. According to the company, the upcoming smartphone is going to be company's first 5G-ready phone under ₹20,000. The brand has been consistently working to bring in customer-centric meaningful innovations and advanced technologies across its portfolio, the company said in a statement. This is OPPO's first phone with 5G compatibility in the pocket friendly segment, it added. The upcoming smartphone will a 90Hz refresh rate. According to <keyword id="2666663" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gizmochina">GizmoChina</keyword>, the smartphone might feature a 6.5-inch IPS <keyword id="6381337" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="LCD">LCD</keyword> screen that delivers an FHD+ resolution. It is likely to be powered by Snapdragon 480 chipset and paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. OPPO A series phones have time and again proved expertise in delivering futuristic state-of-the art technology innovations, user-friendly design aesthetics, trendy and fashionable form factor and all this at a competitive price point, the company said. The Chinese smartphone maker recently launched a new smartphone under its F series, <keyword id="11031735" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="f19">F19</keyword>, for the India market. Priced at ₹18,990 for the sole 6GB+128GB storage variant, <keyword id="7164385" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="oppo-f19">OPPO F19</keyword> comes in two colour variants -- prism black and midnight blue. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/flipkart-acquires-cleartrip-in-an-effort-to-cement-its-position-in-the-travel-booking-segment/articleshow/82081931.cms">Flipkart acquires Cleartrip in an effort to cement its position in the travel booking segment</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/remdesivir-injection-price-jumps-five-times-as-covid-19-cases-rise/articleshow/82083414.cms">The utter chaos and confusion over Remdesivir in India is making the COVID-19 second wave worse</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/jira-and-trello-maker-atlassian-is-looking-to-hire-300-engineers-in-india-in-2021/articleshow/82083765.cms">Atlassian, the maker of Jira and Trello, is looking to hire 300 engineers in India this year</a>

OPPO A74 smartphone with 5G support and 90Hz display to launch in India soon, to be priced under ₹20,000

Kyodo News via Getty Images<ul><li>Biotech company <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gild-stock">Gilead</a> soared as much as 6.9% Monday morning after a World Health Organization official made a hopeful comment on its experimental coronavirus treatment.</li><li>The drug developer's remdesivir compound is the "one drug right now that we think may have efficacy," Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general at the WHO, said Monday, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-24/gilead-surges-after-who-comments-on-coronavirus-drug-testing?srnd=markets-vp">Bloomberg</a> reported.</li><li>The jump comes amid a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-major-indexes-plunge-on-coronavirus-fear-2020-2-1028932093?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">broad market slump</a> fueled by coronavirus' rising death toll outside China.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gild-stock">Watch Gilead trade live here</a>.</li></ul>Shares of drug developer <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gild-stock">Gilead</a> soared amid a broad market slump on Monday after a World Health Organization official offered a promising comment on its experimental coronavirus drug.The company's remdesivir drug was pushed to clinical trial as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies around the world. The experimental compound is the "one drug right now that we think may have efficacy," Bruce Aylward, assistant director-general at the WHO, said at a Beijing briefing, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-24/gilead-surges-after-who-comments-on-coronavirus-drug-testing?srnd=markets-vp">Bloomberg</a>.The company soared as much as 6.9% after the open before paring some gains. The jump pushed Gilead's shares to their highest level since October 2018.Results from the clinical trial are expected in the coming weeks, Bloomberg reported.Coronavirus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">is responsible for 2,626 deaths</a> and has infected more than 79,000 individuals as of Monday morning. A recent spike in deaths outside of China ratcheted up fears of the outbreak becoming a pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-major-indexes-plunge-on-coronavirus-fear-2020-2-1028932093?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">plunged nearly 1,000 points</a> early Monday as heightened risks jolted investors and drove many into safe-haven assets.Gilead was one of two companies in the 100-stock Nasdaq Composite to post a gain in Monday's session as of 12:50 p.m. ET.The biotech company's stock is up roughly 13% in February, surging on investor hopes that its treatment can be the first to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Gilead <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/gilead-sciences-stock-price-coronavirus-drug-treatment-remdesivir-testing-china-2020-2-1028868180">spiked as much as 13%</a> on February 3 after <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-03/gilead-drug-to-undergo-human-trials-in-china-to-cure-coronavirus">Bloomberg News</a> reported the remdesivir drug would begin human trials in Beijing.Gilead traded at $72.10 per share as of 12:50 p.m. ET, up 9% year-to-date.The company has 15 "buy" ratings, 13 "hold" ratings, and two "sell" ratings from analysts, with a consensus price target of $74.91, according to Bloomberg data.Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/fidelity-charles-schwab-brokerage-users-technical-errors-market-tumble-coronavirus-2020-2-1028932443">Fidelity and Charles Schwab say some users ran into technical issues in early trading as stocks tanked the most since August</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-selloff-5-experts-address-coronavirus-fears-global-outlook-2020-2-1028932400">'The most disruptive thing to hit markets in many years': 5 financial experts sound off on coronavirus chaos, and what it means for investors</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-looking-for-black-creatives-for-new-ad-campaign-2020-2">Mike Bloomberg is courting black advertising pros as he faces accusations of racism</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/gild-stock">Markets Insider</a><a href="/intelligence/digital-health?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=health&amp;itm_campaign=digital-health"></a>Featured Digital Health Articles: - <a href="/telehealth-industry-explained">Telehealth Industry: Benefits, Services &amp; Examples</a> - <a href="/value-based-care-pay-for-performance-healthcare-model">Value-Based Care Model: Pay-for-Performance Healthcare</a> - <a href="/senior-care-market-trends">Senior Care &amp; Assisted Living Market Trends</a> - <a href="/wearable-technology-healthcare-medical-devices">Smart Medical Devices: Wearable Tech in Healthcare</a> - <a href="/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">AI in Healthcare</a> - <a href="/remote-patient-monitoring-industry-explained">Remote Patient Monitoring Industry: Devices &amp; Market Trends</a> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rise-and-fall-of-hummer-recession-general-motors-bankruptcy-arnold-schwarzenegger-2020-2">The rise and fall of Hummer</a></h3>

Drug developer Gilead soars to 16-month high after WHO official says its experimental treatment is best shot for fighting coronavirus

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Tuesday.<ol><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-air-team-has-a-secretive-culture-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery team is so secretive that employees are often forced to use fake employer names in public</a>. The secretive culture has sometimes backfired and when the team has been testing its drones on private property and were frequently interrupted by law enforcement.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-content-moderators-protest-virtual-walkout-donald-trump-posts-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Facebook content moderators joined Facebook employees in revolt over how the company handles posts by President Trump</a>. On Monday, a group of former and current content moderators penned a blog post on Medium supporting the protesting employees and criticizing CEO Mark Zuckerberg's stance.</li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-web-services-brian-hall-google-cloud-lawsuit-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Amazon has filed a noncompete lawsuit in May against Brian Hall, a former cloud marketing vice president who took a similar job at Google Cloud</a>. The company argues Hall's move places its confidential information at risk.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lilium-spacex-raises-35-million-flying-taxis-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">SpaceX investor Baillie Gifford has invested $35 million into flying taxi maker Lilium</a>. Lilium hopes to offer cheap flying taxi rides by 2025.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-cats-fip-sold-10k-black-market-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">A variant of remdesivir, one of the most promising treatments for COVID-19, has for more than a year been sold as a treatment for sick cats via a black market connected to big Facebook groups</a>. The transactions do not take place on Facebook's platform, but large cat owner groups have banded together to connect buyers to sellers, and attempt to screen the drug for purity.</li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/siri-google-assistant-rebut-all-lives-matter-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Apple and Google have trained their virtual assistants to rebut the phrase 'All lives matter.'</a> Training their voice assistants appears to be part of the broader public messaging on Black Lives Matter by the major tech companies, all of which have issued statements supporting the movement.</li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-factchecks-tweets-5g-coronavirus-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Twitter is adding fact-checking labels on tweets that link 5G with the coronavirus</a>. The label reads: "Get the facts about COVID-19" and links to news articles, official sources, and tweets debunking the theory.</li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lemonade-insurance-startup-files-ipo-paperwork-to-go-public-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">The $2 billion SoftBank-backed insurance startup Lemonade has filed to go public</a>. In its registration statement, the company revealed ballooning losses alongside top-line growth. </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3m-n95-mask-maker-accuses-amazon-seller-of-20x-markup-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">3M is accusing an Amazon seller of hiking the cost of its masks by as much as 20 times while protective medical equipment was in short-supply amid the coronavirus pandemic</a>. The company has filed 12 such lawsuits as part of ongoing efforts to combat fraud, it said. </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-moderators-demand-platform-add-policy-banning-racism-2020-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Reddit moderators on Monday penned a letter calling on the platform to add a policy that explicitly bans racism and hate speech</a>. The platform has a long history of providing a home to hateful rhetoric and hate-based communities after being founded 15 years ago as a place for free expression.</li></ol>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear <keyword id="9070519" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="10-things-in-tech">10 Things in Tech</keyword> each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.You can also <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/free">subscribe to this newsletter</a> here — just tick "10 Things in Tech You Need to Know."

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is in crisis: <keyword id="6365858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hospitals">Hospitals</keyword> are overloaded with patients amid a surge in <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> cases.</li><li>Rapidly spreading <keyword id="112799" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="variants">variants</keyword> and social gatherings are fueling this outbreak, experts say.</li><li>A slow vaccine rollout and ill-prepared healthcare system have made matters worse.</li></ul>Just two months ago, India's coronavirus outbreak seemed to have turned a corner. Cases had plummeted to their lowest point since the beginning of the pandemic and vaccines were starting to be rolled out.But Bramer Mukherjee, an epidemiology professor at the University of Michigan, wasn't convinced the progress would last. By mid-February, she spotted an uptick in cases amid an increase in weddings, family gatherings, festivals, and sporting events.She called up her 81-year-old father and 79-year-other mother, who live in Calcutta, to see if they'd be getting vaccinated soon."They said, 'There's no virus right now. There is no rush,'" Mukherjee told Insider. "I think this actually tells you what happened: that in the valley of the virus, that was the right time for India to accelerate vaccination, but that did not happen."Now, average daily cases in India have risen more than 20-fold in the last two months. The country reported more than 350,000 new cases on Monday - the world's highest-ever daily total. <keyword id="6419711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Deaths">Deaths</keyword> have risen nearly 25-fold in the last two months. Indian hospitals are now plagued by long lines and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-hospitals-run-out-of-oxygen-amid-covid-19-surge-2021-4">ventilator and oxygen shortages</a>, while bodies pile up at crematoriums. Public-health experts point to four factors that have caused the outbreak to spiral out of control: rapidly spreading variants, an increase in social gatherings, a slow vaccine rollout, and an ill-prepared healthcare system. Had India used its respite over the winter to ramp up testing, genomic surveillance, and the supply of critical medications, they said, the nation would have been better prepared to handle a new surge."Unfortunately, the narrative that played out about how well India did caused a false sense of security," Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, told Insider. "I always felt and believed that India would become the epicenter of this pandemic."Mukherjee said India's "premature celebration of victory" could serve as a warning to other countries."The treacherous thing about this virus is that you cannot wait to see its action," she said. "You have to really track its silent footsteps."<h2>Variants are likely the main culprit behind the surge</h2><div type="image" title="india coronavirus" height="973" width="1500" msid="82222926" hostid="261"></div>Rapidly spreading coronavirus variants are perhaps the biggest culprit behind India's harrowing outbreak. One in particular, B.1.617, has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-mutant-coronavirus-variant-california-india-2021-4">a "double mutation"</a> that may help it evade antibodies generated in response to vaccines or previous <keyword id="6418348" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="infections">infections</keyword>. Scientists say the variant shows early hallmarks of being more transmissible than the original strain."This new variant seems more infectious, seems to grab younger people, and seems to have really driven the numbers up," Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told Insider.Scientists in the state of Maharashtra first identified the B.1.617 strain in March. At the time, they said the variant was linked to between <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1707177">15% and 20% of cases</a> there. By April, the variant had come to represent more than half of India's new coronavirus cases, according to <a href="https://outbreak.info/situation-reports?pango=B.1.617&amp;selected=IND&amp;loc=USA&amp;loc=USA_US-CA&amp;loc=INDS-CA&amp;loc=IND">GISAID</a>, a global database that collects coronavirus genomes."The double mutant is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-mutant-coronavirus-variant-california-india-2021-4">now in California</a>, it is in the UK, and similar variants are going to circulate all over the world," Mukherjee said. "It's really a global problem."Other coronavirus strains could be fueling the virus' spread as well. Scientists recently identified <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-triple-mutant-in-india-could-be-much-more-deadly-2021-4">a variant with three key mutations</a>, B.1.618, in West Bengal. And a variant in Bangalore, B.1.36, carries a mutation that has been associated with coronavirus reinfections. Experts said India would benefit from regional lockdowns in areas where variants are spreading widely."If India doesn't get their pandemic under control, it affects the entire world," Kuppalli said. "We can put all the travel restrictions we want, but that's not going to prevent these mutations from getting to other places."<h2>Social gatherings gave variants more opportunities to spread</h2><div type="image" title="Holi Festival 2021" height="4285" width="6428" msid="82222928" hostid="261"></div>Variants had plenty of opportunities to spread in India this spring.Earlier this month, at least 50 million people crowded along the Ganga river for a Hindu religious festival that has since been <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/50-million-people-allowed-at-superspreader-festival-so-modi-can-secure-the-hindu-vote">linked to at least 2,000 coronavirus cases</a>. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also held large election rallies, including one in March that attracted 800,000 people.On top of that, experts said, many Indians felt it was no longer vital to continue social distancing or wearing masks. A <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news">January survey</a> found that 56% out 28,000 people sampled in Delhi tested positive for coronavirus antibodies - leading many locals to believe that large cities had already reached herd immunity, according to Mukherjee."Many people were thinking by December, January, 'Oh, we've got this under control,'" Jha said. "That turned out to be just hubris and I, among others, had warned that it could really bite back."Even countries like the US, UK, and Israel - which have vaccinated between 40% and 65% of their populations - need to be mindful that the virus hasn't disappeared, experts said."The real lesson here is: respect the virus, respect <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword>," Jha said. "There's no other way out."<h2>A slow vaccine rollout meant India couldn't get ahead of its outbreak</h2><div type="image" title="india vaccine line" height="3648" width="5472" msid="82299179" hostid="261"></div>India has immunized less than 9% of its population since its national vaccine program started three months ago. That isn't particularly surprising, given the country's size."The challenges there of vaccinating a billion people are just extraordinary," Jha said. But India's vaccine rollout also suffered from a lack of urgency, experts said: Some residents didn't feel the need to get vaccinated right away. Others were skeptical of the shots.India approved its own vaccine, Covaxin, before human trials were finished. It's similar to China's Sinovac vaccine. The shot's makers, Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research, have said it is <a href="https://www.bharatbiotech.com/images/press/covaxin-phase3-clinical-trials-interim-results.pdf">at least 78% effective</a>. But Jha there's still uncertainty about how well the vaccine is working."We know that a similarly designed Chinese vaccine is underperforming in Latin America, and there might well be the same phenomenon occurring in India," he said. The vaccination effort also took a hit when cases began to rise, according to Kuppalli, because that forced healthcare workers to shift their focus away from administering shots."Vaccines are great, and we need to be rolling them out and ramping them up, but you can't vaccinate your way out of a surge," Kuppalli said.<h2>India's healthcare system wasn't prepared for another surge</h2><div type="image" title="A Covid-19 patient gets admitted to a government hospital in Kolkata, India, 22 April, 2021. India reported 314,835 fresh coronavirus infections on Thursday according to an Indian media report." height="1669" width="2500" msid="82222932" hostid="261"></div>Jha said the Indian healthcare system wasn't equipped to handle another outbreak on top of its vaccine rollout."You have to remember the background here is there's been chronic underinvestment in Indian health for quite some time," he said. "India, like many countries, sadly does not have an adult immunization program." The country had a brief window when cases were low in which it would have been easier to scale up testing and the supply of critical medications, Jha added, but many government officials falsely assumed that the threat was over.Now, the situation on the ground in India is likely even more harrowing than the official numbers indicate. Testing shortages prevent the nation from quantifying the scale of its outbreak, and a handful of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/world/asia/india-coronavirus-deaths.html">doctors</a>, local journalists, and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/even-record-death-toll-may-hide-extent-of-india-s-covid-crisis">relatives of the deceased</a> have reported that official tallies <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/even-record-death-toll-may-hide-extent-of-india-s-covid-crisis">don't reflect the number of bodies arriving at crematoriums</a>. India's healthcare providers also lack the resources, including beds and medications, to treat patients."If you under-report and suppress data and number of deaths, then you cannot really estimate how many people are going to show up at the hospital the next day," Mukherjee said. "And that really harms your ability to provide oxygen and to provide healthcare resources to people."Experts said some doctors in India have - whether due to a lack of training or sheer desperation - tried administering medications that don't work against the virus, like ivermectin, a prescription used to treat parasitic infections."I've heard stories of people getting three, four, five, six meds prescribed to them, medications that have not been shown to be effective at all," Kuppalli said. "I think people are just grasping for straws and that just adds to the chaos and the anxiety." There can also be a financial incentive to offer drugs to patients in critical condition, Jha said."When you have a scenario like this, you'll get really desperate people," he said. "And then you also have very unsavory private providers that'll take advantage of that and offer all sorts of treatment, whether they work or not."Drugs that can work, meanwhile, like the antiviral drug remdesivir, are now in high demand, Kuppalli said."There's a huge black market for remdesivir," she said, "and I'm worried that might happen for vaccines now as well."

A perfect storm of 4 factors has fueled India's harrowing coronavirus surge. Other countries could be next.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new edition of <keyword id="9095853" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-today">Insider Today</keyword>. Please <a href="http://insider.com/insidertoday">sign up here</a>. To view this newsletter on our site, <a href="https://www.insider.com/tragedies-of-minneapolis-george-floyd-2020-5">click here</a>. <h2>BLODGET &amp; PLOTZ</h2>5 thoughts on the tragedy of MinneapolisThe <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/protests-death-george-floyd-minneapolis-new-york-denver-2020-5#minneapolis-mayor-jacob-frey-held-a-press-conference-at-145-am-local-time-friday-calling-the-looting-and-destruction-unacceptable-5">killing of George Floyd is a tragedy</a> that is now compounding into other tragedies. It's almost impossible to see clearly at a time of such confusion, but here are five thoughts on what's happening in Minneapolis and across the US.<ol><li>There's desperation across America, but it's most acute in urban black America, which has been hit hardest by our twin catastrophes. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-americans-disproportionately-hospitalized-with-coronavirus-2020-4">COVID-19 infection and death rates</a> are highest there, and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-job-losses-black-hispanic/">so are job losses</a>.</li><li>The apparent inability of police to <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/police-response-george-floyd-minneapolis-shutdowns.html">treat black and white protesters the same</a> is a genuine problem. It's great that police handled the provocative, heavily armed anti-lockdown protestors a few weeks ago with such restraint. Nothing escalated and no one was hurt. Those protesters were almost all white, and the cops they encountered were too. The <keyword id="9312067" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="minneapolis-protests">Minneapolis protests</keyword>, meanwhile, included lots of black protesters —and lots of young black men — and were met by mostly white cops. These protests began peacefully but quickly got out of control. Now there's looting and a police station on fire. The protesters' violence is inexcusable, but a calmer police response aimed at defusing the situation might have worked. It's worth asking why cops seem to have a harder time soothing tense situations with black crowds.</li><li>Crowds make people into their worst, dumbest selves. The looting, arson, and violence are tragically stupid: They help no one and improve nothing. But the mania of crowds can bring out the ugliest in us.</li><li>Urban rioting in America is often set off by the clumsy and often slow legal response to police violence. It's not necessarily the violence itself. It's the inability of the legal system to address the violence in a way that feels fair to communities. Minneapolis fired the four cops involved in the death of <keyword id="9295731" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="george-floyd">George Floyd</keyword> immediately, which was a swift and direct response. The violent protests occurred when prosecutors took their time in deciding whether to charge the officers. Even though videos of this appalling incident made a criminal charge seem warranted, the prosecutors' caution and care was understandable. The stakes are high: Charge cops too hastily or recklessly and risk breakdown between police and prosecutors. Never charge bad cops and sacrifice justice and lose the public trust.</li><li>It's a tragedy that we have a president who doesn't know how to calm a situation like this, and in fact wants to inflame it. —DP</li></ol>2 maps show why <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> measures have become a political issueA few days ago, we wrote about how the coronavirus pandemic has become a "blue state" versus "red state" issue, and how dangerous this situation is.The reason for this polarization is simple.The coronavirus is hitting "blue" America far harder than "red" America, at least for now.In areas in which COVID cases and deaths are prevalent, public health seems like the biggest priority, because health and the economy are inextricably linked: People won't start shopping, eating out, traveling, and attending big events until they're confident they won't get sick while they do it.But in areas with few cases and deaths, preventive measures seem pointless and tyrannical. Sometimes, pictures tell a story better than words. And <a href="https://twitter.com/biancoresearch/status/1266140974775963650">these two charts from Jim Bianco</a> at <a href="https://www.biancoresearch.com/visitor-home/">Bianco Research</a> hammer home why Americans view this crisis differently.In the first chart, half the country's COVID cases are in the blue counties and half are in the red. In the second, half of COVID deaths are in the green counties and half are in the yellow.<div type="image" title="Where coronavirus cases" height="1490" width="1984" msid="76099905" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Where coronavirus deaths" height="1482" width="1982" msid="76099908" hostid="261"></div> —HBTrump's incompetence is a choiceThe Trump administration has now botched the initial distribution of remdesivir, the most promising treatment for COVID-19. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/28/remdesivir-coronavirus-trump/">Washington Post reveals</a> that, because of federal mistakes, much of the first batch of the drug has gone "to the wrong hospitals, to hospitals with no intensive care units and therefore no eligible patients, and to facilities without the needed refrigeration to store it, meaning some had to be returned to the government."It is just the latest example of how the Trump administration has mangled our pandemic response. The CDC's errors snarled testing for weeks in the first, critical days. An inexperienced team led by Jared Kushner <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/us/jared-kushner-fema-coronavirus.htm">bungled the acquisition of personal protective equipment</a>, while sucking up to Trump donors and cronies.After three long years of the Trump presidency, we've become numb to this ineptitude. We're starting to act like government screw-ups or abdication of responsibility are a necessary condition of American life.But it's critical that we remember that incompetence is a choice.Doing things well is hard work. It requires persistent interest, hard-won experience, expertise, effort, follow-up. It requires hiring people who have done the job before and know how to do it. It requires being honest about mistakes so that you don't make them again. It doesn't take genius to do this, but it takes discipline and will. Yet from the top of this administration, we have yawning indifference — if not hostility — to all that. With few exceptions, Trump hasn't hired the right people and has driven away the most capable people he did hire. The most important job of a leader is to surround him or herself with great people. Trump is incapable of that. The quality he values most is loyalty. Competence and expertise intimidate him, so he runs the other way. We've been left with a government filled with "Acting" Thises and "Acting" Thats, stacked with lickspittles who make sure the president hears what he wants to hear.That's how you end up with most challenging White House assignments delegated to Jared Kushner, a dilettante real-estate heir whose only qualification is having married the president's daughter. Kushner may be intelligent, and he may mean well, but experience and expertise matter. Like Trump, Kushner has little or none. And yet he is presiding over vast swathes of American government during the worst crisis in a generation.To say it again. It didn't have to be this way. Imagine how different things might be had Trump appointed Bill Gates as pandemic czar back in March.Or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-exec-dave-clark-powerful-corporate-america-2020-5">read about Dave Clark</a>, Amazon's SVP of worldwide operations, and wonder how we'd be doing if someone with Clark's ruthlessness, high standards, and intense focus were in charge.It didn't have to be this way. —DPThe college-reopening problem: Yes, students are young, but professors and administrators are oldEveryone wants colleges (and schools) to reopen in the fall — especially the colleges.But unless the country throttles the coronavirus this summer, it's hard to see how colleges will be able to return to business as usual so soon.One common argument about why colleges should just reopen and power through this is that the coronavirus is much more dangerous for older people than 18 to 22 year olds.But as <a href="https://twitter.com/nataliexdean/status/1266044264967962626?s=20">professor Natalie Dean</a>, David States, and others have said, even if students and parents are willing to accept the lower risks, college communities include more than students. As <a href="https://www.cupahr.org/wp-content/uploads/CUPA-HR-Brief-Aging-Faculty.pdf">this chart</a> from the College and University Professional Association shows, a lot of the faculty are in much riskier age groups:<div type="image" title="College faculty age" height="894" width="1398" msid="76099911" hostid="261"></div>Most teaching and college activities, moreover, are among those most conducive to virus transmission: prolonged exposure and talking in confined spaces indoors.Yes, everyone in seminar or lecture classes could wear masks, dining halls could do "take-out," and all parties, activities, and sports could be banned. But at that point, college would bear so little resemblance to college that most students and faculty would probably prefer Zoom. —HB Trump hates government regulations — unless he can use them to punish and bully his enemiesThe Trump administration brags about how it's deregulating and slashing red tape. But <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-all-about-deregulation--except-when-it-comes-to-his-enemies/2020/05/28/dcfb9638-a116-11ea-b5c9-570a91917d8d_story.html">a brilliant Catherine Rampell column</a> in The Washington Post argues that the Trump administration is not pro-deregulation. It is pro-deregulation for its friends. And pro-regulation for its enemies.Trump's moves against social-media platforms are regulation on a mass scale, putting federal employees to work policing Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, Trump's officials make it harder for workers to renew visas, gin up excuses for rejecting immigrants, and create burdensome new paperwork that deters poor families from seeking federal assistance. —DP<h2>OTHER <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">NEWS</keyword></h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-did-not-jump-wuhan-market-chinese-cdc-says-2020-5?_ga=2.224844698.1416467847.1590424019-746452348.1587515977">China's CDC says Wuhan "wet market" was not the source of the coronavirus.</a> The market was a superspreader event, but authorities say the disease probably started elsewhere. Some of the proof: No animals tested from the market had the virus, and 13 of 41 original cases had no link to the market.<h2>BUSINESS &amp; ECONOMY</h2><div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Mannequins are seen inside a closed luxury store on 5th Avenue, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Manhattan, New York city, New York, U.S., May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo" height="1320" width="2641" msid="76099914" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-consumer-spending-fell-record-april-personal-savings-jumped-coronavirus-2020-5">Consumer spending fell 13.6% in March, the biggest drop ever.</a> Even though incomes rose more than 10% because of government stimulus, anxious consumers stopped spending.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-coronavirus-crash-history-shows-risks-of-recovery-socgen-2020-5">The surge in seven tech stocks could be masking the risk of a prolonged bear market.</a> According to a study by Societe Generale, cyclical stocks generally need to recover for a bear market to end. In this market, seven huge tech companies have soared anomalously, but cyclical stocks have been uneven.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-rescinds-job-offers-contractors-thousands-2020-5">Google rescinded job offers to more than 2,000 temporary and contract workers.</a> Even Google's been hit hard by the pandemic and the collapse of the advertising market.<h3>LIFE</h3><div type="image" title="taylor swift" height="1500" width="3000" msid="76099915" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-trump-is-stoking-the-fires-of-white-supremacy-2020-5?_ga=2.24492986.1416467847.1590424019-746452348.1587515977">Taylor Swift slams Trump for "stoking the fires of white supremacy."</a> She was responding to his "looting" tweet, and vows to work to defeat him in November.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/is-it-safe-to-swim-in-pool-during-coronavirus-chlorine-2020-5">It's pretty safe to swim in a pool during the pandemic.</a> The chlorine helps. But avoid the locker room. <h3>REVIEWS</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-affordable-cheap-fathers-day-gifts-under-25">30 fantastic, cheap Father's Day gifts.</a> They're all under $25, and you have plenty of time to order them before June 21.<h2>THE BIG 3*</h2><div type="image" title="kylie jenner" height="1000" width="2000" msid="76099918" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.insider.com/surveillance-video-george-floyd-minneapolis-police-arrest-death-2020-5">Surveillance video shows George Floyd did not resist arrest.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-jenner-no-longer-a-billionaire-according-to-forbes-2020-5">Kylie Jenner sent forged tax documents to Forbes to exaggerate her net worth.</a> The magazine says she claimed her cosmetic company's 2018 revenues were triple what they actually were. Forbes also says she's not a billionaire: She's worth just $900 million.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-quotes-cop-sparked-race-riot-tweet-2020-5"> "When the looting starts, the shooting starts":</a> Trump's tweet tagged for "glorifying violence" was quoting a 1960s police chief whose policies sparked a race riot.*The most popular stories on Insider today. Insider Today's goal is to provide you with insight and analysis about the big stories of the day — "Insider in your inbox."Please feel free to reply to this email and tell us what you like or don't like, and we'll evolve and improve as we go. And if you're enjoying the newsletter, please forward to your friends.Please also let us know your thoughts on the topics we discuss. Please include your name and city/state/country. If we think other readers will enjoy your note, we'll publish it! <a href="mailto:henry@insider.com">henry@insider.com</a> and <a href="mailto:dplotz@businessinsider.com">dplotz@businessinsider.com</a>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/tragedies-of-minneapolis-george-floyd-2020-5">Insider</a>

The tragedies of Minneapolis

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new edition of <keyword id="9095853" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-today">Insider Today</keyword>. Please <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-today">sign up here</a>.Please take a moment to complete the <a href="https://insidertoday.questionpro.com/">following three-minute survey</a> so that we can better deliver you Insider in your inbox.<h2>QUOTE OF THE DAY</h2>"You're the kind of customer I'm happy to lose." —<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-instagram-angry-customer-email-black-lives-matter-support-2020-6">Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos</a> responding to a guy named Dave who ripped him for supporting Black Lives Matter<h2>WHAT'S HAPPENING</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/minneapolis-city-council-disband-police-department-george-floyd-2020-6">Minneapolis's City Council actually did vote to disband the city's police force and reallocate the budget to other community services.</a> The vote is "veto-proof," but there are no concrete plans yet.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/all-the-details-of-congressional-democrats-police-reform-bill-2020-6">Congressional Democrats released their own police-reform legislation.</a> It would ban choke holds and create a nationwide database of police misconduct, among other things.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-mocks-mitt-romney-for-joining-black-lives-matter-march-2020-6">Sen. Mitt Romney is being widely praised (in some circles) for marching in a Black Lives Matter protest</a>. Trump, of course, is trashing him.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-index-reaction-us-economy-recovery-reopening-2020-6-1029289121">Stocks started up again.</a> The Nasdaq reached an all-time high. Amazon hit $2,500 for the first time, 1,667 times its 1997 IPO price.</li></ul><h2>BLODGET &amp; PLOTZ</h2><div type="image" title="defund the police protestor" height="1250" width="2500" msid="76270856" hostid="261"></div>Protesters need a better slogan than "defund the police."Most people chanting "Defund the police!" don't actually want to eliminate police. Maybe some do — the mayor of Minneapolis, for example, was chased from a protest yesterday after saying <a href="https://www.insider.com/minneapolis-mayor-frey-booed-out-protest-refusing-to-defund-police-2020-6">he did not want to abolish police</a>. But most people who say "defund the police," I think, just want police budgets reduced and the money instead invested in other emergency, health, and community services.In some jurisdictions, this probably makes sense. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and other innocent Americans, as well as the absurdly aggressive police response to the current protests, show that militarized police often don't "serve and protect." Instead, they frequently shoot, gas, batter, choke, attack, and kill.So reallocating a portion of some police budgets to more helpful and peaceful community services would be smart.But eliminating police would be ludicrous.Humans do commit crimes sometimes. People beat each other up. People crash cars, drink and drive, kill each other, and rob banks.Communities need someone to call when these things happen. Someone needs to investigate, gather evidence, and make arrests. If we eliminate the police, we'll just have to create new service providers to do these things and call them something else.So protesters who are justifiably enraged by police brutality need a better slogan. (Though, in this one's defense, it has certainly helped raise awareness of a real problem). —HBAlso, "defund the police" would likely help Trump. The more protesters chant "defund the police," the easier it would likely be for President Trump to persuade swing voters that the Democrats want an America in which "looters and rioters" are forever ransacking the country. No matter how well meaning the protesters, in other words, the slogan "defund the police" will help bring about the protesters' biggest nightmare: Another four years of a president who loves militarized police and wants to "dominate" the citizenry. —HBTAKE OF THE DAY: The Trump presidency is collapsing.<div type="image" title="President Donald Trump walks from the White House to visit St. John's Church across Lafayette Park Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington" height="1955" width="3910" msid="76270860" hostid="261"></div>The implosion of the Trump presidency has been wrongly predicted since before it began, so why would now be the moment it really happens? New York Times columnist <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/opinion/trump-mattis-polls.html?action=click&amp;module=Opinion&amp;pgtype=HomepageHomepage">Jennifer Senior </a>thinks this may finally be the Trump "tipping point" because he's flailing, his traditional divisive tactics aren't working, old allies are loudly defecting, and there doesn't seem to be a white backlash against the protests.In The Atlantic, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/how-regime-change-happens/612739/">Franklin Foer</a> likens what's happening to peaceful revolutions against authoritarian dictatorships, where small acts of rebellion — Twitter footnoting Trump's tweets, local officials standing up to the White House — reveal the weakness of the bully, and give cover for widespread defections, and eventual collapse. —DPWhy art has been so effective during these protests. In DC, city workers and activists painted a monumental "Black Lives Matter" mural on the street leading to the White House, infuriating Trump and inspiring similar murals in cities across the country. The murals are simple yet brilliant political theater, creating unforgettable images for <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> helicopters and drones.When the administration built a fence around the White House, demonstrators immediately decorated it with BLM posters, crosses, banners, and murals — turning exclusion into a memorial installation. There have been glorious moments of mass singing and mass dancing.Protesters have also vanquished old art, pulling down — or persuading authorities to pull down — statues of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/us/statues-removed-george-floyd-trnd/index.html">hated, racist figures</a>. It is a good reminder that protesting isn't a utilitarian request for policy change, but something much richer, and more complicated. Humans express themselves most powerfully not with reasoned arguments — though the protesters have plenty of those too — but with acts of communal creation. —DP<h2>OTHER NEWS</h2><div type="image" title="Closed Broadway coronavirus." height="1000" width="2000" msid="76270866" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/08/shutdowns-prevented-60-million-coronavirus-infections-us-study-finds/">Shutdowns saved millions upon millions of lives.</a> Lockdowns prevented 60 million cases of COVID-19 in the US and saved more than 3 million lives in Europe, according to a pair of studies in Nature. They also prevented 285 million cases in China. That's not just good. That's great! Preventing suffering and death are worth a monumental amount. But the studies can't answer the question the world faces now, which is whether we'll be able to restore economic activity while maintaining the amount of distancing needed to keep the pandemic in check.<h2>BUSINESS &amp; ECONOMY</h2><a href="https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2020/06/may-employment-report-2500000-jobs.html">CHART OF THE DAY:</a> Back in the dark days of the Great Recession, Insider called this "the scariest jobs chart ever." Now it's even scarier. The chart is from <a href="https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2020/06/may-employment-report-2500000-jobs.html">Bill McBride at Calculated Risk</a>. It maps job losses in every recession since World War II. The job losses are presented as a percentage drop in the number of jobs from the peak.<div type="image" title="Job losses" height="1043" width="1600" msid="76270869" hostid="261"></div>As you can see, in most recessions, jobs dropped 2% to 5% and took one to four years to recover. In the Great Recession, in blue, jobs dropped 6% and took six years to recover. In the current recession, in red, jobs have already dropped 13% (so far) in three months. How long do you think they'll take to recover?<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sars-coronavirus-boost-china-us-ecommerce-markets-2020-6">SARS changed Chinese shopping habits quickly and permanently. COVID-19 could do the same in the US.</a> The 2003 SARS epidemic pushed Chinese commerce online almost overnight, and turned Alibaba and JD.com into retail ecommerce giants. This pandemic appears to be reshaping American shopping habits in the same way, with ecommerce expected to surge 60% this year. It's like Black Friday every day. Will it persist? If American habits change, it would be cataclysmic in ways that it wasn't in China. That's because the US economy is so dependent on brick-and-mortar retail. It has <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058852/retail-space-per-capita-selected-countries-worldwide/">five times as much retail space per capita</a> as Europe, and nearly 10 times as much as China. <h2>LIFE</h2><div type="image" title="Roger Goodell" height="900" width="1800" msid="76270870" hostid="261"></div>"We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter." Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to NFL players for opposing their earlier protests. The NFL standing up for Black Lives Matter is a 1,000% sign that it's now a <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2020/06/nfl-roger-goodell-black-lives-matter-players-video-kaepernick.html">safe, mainstream opinion.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-cats-fip-sold-10k-black-market-2020-6">Cat owners are buying off-brand remdesivir on the black market to treat their pets.</a> They're paying obscene amounts for Chinese knockoffs of the COVID-19 drug to treat a fatal illness called feline infectious peritonitis, which is also caused by a coronavirus.<h2>PHOTO OF THE DAY</h2><div type="image" title="Todd Winn, kneeling outside the Utah State Capitol" height="1362" width="1816" msid="76270874" hostid="261"></div>US Marine veteran <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-marine-veteran-protests-for-black-lives-matter-2020-6">Todd Winn stood at attention or kneeled, in full-dress uniform,</a> outside the Utah State Capitol building in scorching heat for three hours, "I can't breathe" taped over his mouth, a "Justice for George Floyd" poster in his arms. He stood there so long the soles of his shoes melted. <h2>THE BIG 3*</h2><div type="image" title="candace owens" height="1000" width="2000" msid="76270875" hostid="261"></div>Here's that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-instagram-angry-customer-email-black-lives-matter-support-2020-6">profane email to Jeff Bezos from Dave, a customer unhappy with Amazon's support for Black Lives Matter.</a> Dave ranted away, like many racists do, and he threw in the N-word, too. Bezos responded, "Dave, you're the kind of customer I'm happy to lose." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/candace-owens-gofundme-suspends-account-george-floyd-criticism-2020-6">GoFundMe suspended the black conservative Candace Owens.</a> She'd raised $200,000 for an Alabama bar owner who called George Floyd a "thug." GoFundMe said Owens "spread hate, discrimination, intolerance and falsehoods against the black community." The bar will still get the money. <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-movies-details-you-might-have-missed-2020-6">27 details you probably missed in the Harry Potter movies.</a> Such as the cereal called Cheeri-Owls, the Beauxbatons' girls dancing the Macarena, the early appearance of the deathly hallows symbol.*The most popular stories on Insider today.

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