US pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has said that it is in talks with drug companies in Pakistan and India to start remdesivir production.

According to a statement on their website, Gilead Sciences "is negotiating long-term voluntary licenses with several generic drugmakers in India and Pakistan to produce remdesivir for developing countries. Gilead will provide appropriate technology transfers to facilitate this production".

The statement adds that the company's goal "is to make remdesivir both accessible and affordable to governments and patients around the world".

Remdesivir is an experimental antiviral drug used to treat patients with Covid-19 and was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).