Framing access to medicines during COVID-19: A qualitative content analysis of Gilead’s Remdesivir

The COVID-19 pandemic calls into question the institutional structure underlying pharmaceutical industry. While some have called for medical technologies to be global public goods and patent waivers on pharmaceuticals, much of industry has pushed back against any attempts that might threaten their monopoly power set prices. Public acceptance role private companies control life-saving drugs, as well intellectual property system, informs campaigns guaranteeing universal access medicines corporate strategies shape policy. This study consists a qualitative content analysis online comments about news reports Gilead Science’s pricing remdesivir, re-purposed drug shows positive efficacy in clinical trials. Analysing elite framing medicine our understanding social construction markets. findings identify hegemonic counter-hegemonic discourse innovation, affordability, saving lives, health care savings international comparisons stimulate debate potentially advocacy. As such, discursive context delineates possibilities remediating normative material system currently geared towards profit instead needs.