Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


FDA Approves First COVID-19 Drug: Antiviral Remdesivir

Associated Press

   U.S. regulators on Thursday approved the first drug to treat COVID-19:
   remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given to hospitalized patients
   through an IV.

   The drug, which California-based Gilead Sciences Inc. is calling
   Veklury, cut recovery time from 15 days to 10 on average in a large
   study led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

   It has been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and
   it now becomes the first drug to win full Food and Drug Administration
   approval for treating COVID-19. President Donald Trump received it when
   he was diagnosed earlier this month with the disease caused by the
   coronavirus.

   Veklury is approved for people at least 12 years old and weighing at
   least 40 kilograms (88 pounds) who are hospitalized for a coronavirus
   infection. For patients younger than 12, the FDA will still allow the
   drug's use in certain cases under its previous emergency authorization.

   The drug works by inhibiting a substance the virus uses to make copies
   of itself. Certain kidney and liver tests are required before starting
   patients on it to ensure it's safe for them and to monitor for any
   possible side effects. And the label warns against using it with the
   malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, because that can curb its
   effectiveness.

   "We now have enough knowledge and a growing set of tools to help fight
   COVID-19," Gilead's chief medical officer, Dr. Merdad Parsey, said in a
   statement.

.