The US Authorizes The Use of Anti-Viral Drug Remdesivir

Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration

The US’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use of the Ebola medication Remdesivir for treating COVID-19.

The approval implies the anti-viral medication would now be able to be applied to people who are hospitalized with extreme Covid-19.

An ongoing clinical preliminary demonstrated the medication abbreviated the recuperation time for people who were severely sick.

In any case, it didn’t fundamentally improve survival rates.

Experts have cautioned the medication – which was initially made to treat Ebola, and is delivered by Gilead pharmaceutical organization in California – can not be viewed as an “magic bullet” for COVID-19.

The medication overlaps with the infection’s genome, decreasing its capacity to duplicate.

During a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O’Day said the FDA approval was a significant step.

The company would donate 1.5 million flasks of the medication, he stated.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn stated at the meeting: “It’s the first authorized therapy for Covid-19, so we’re really proud to be part of it.”

Emergency FDA authorization is not the same as official approval, which needs a higher level of review.

Learn More