First drug to treat COVID-19 approved
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has approved Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) for treatment of coronavirus.
“Veklury should only be administered in a hospital or in a healthcare setting capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care,” directed the FDA.
The drug has been approved for adults and children above 12 with 40 kg or more weight.
Gilead said it was the first and only company to receive approval for treating coronavirus patients. The company claimed that its drug shortens time to recovery by five days in hospitalized patients.
US President Donald Trump was also administered the same drug for COVID-19.
“Today’s approval is supported by data from multiple clinical trials that the agency has rigorously assessed and represents an important scientific milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the FDA’s Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, the agency will to continue to help move new medical products to patients as soon as possible, while at the same time determining whether they are effective and if their benefits outweigh their risks,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D.
