FDA will reportedly authorize use of remdesivir for Covid-19 after trial shows ‘positive effect’ on recovery time
April 30, 2020 / By Maggie Fox, Jamie Gumbrecht, Holly Yan and Betsy Klein, CNN
(CNN) – Researchers released some good news about a possible treatment for coronavirus Wednesday — evidence that the experimental drug remdesivir might help patients recover more quickly from the infection.
The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any drugs for the treatment of the coronavirus. But it plans to announce an emergency-use authorization for remdesivir, according to The New York Times. The authorization could come as soon as Wednesday, The Times reported, citing a senior administration official.
In a statement to CNN, the FDA said it is in talks with Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir, about making the drug available to patients.
“As part of the FDA’s commitment to expediting the development and availability of potential COVID-19 treatments, the agency has been engaged in … discussions with Gilead Sciences regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate,” FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in statement.
The government-funded study found that patients who took remdesivir recovered faster than patients who did not. It’s not a home run, but federal officials are keen to provide any hope they can in a pandemic that has infected more than 1 million Americans and killed close to 60,000 of them.
