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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of remdesivir of the Ebola medication to treat the coronavirus.
Photo: 123rf
The authorization means that the antiviral medication can now be used in people hospitalized with severe Covid-19.
A recent clinical trial showed that the drug helped shorten recovery time for people who were seriously ill.
However, it did not significantly improve survival rates.
Experts have warned that the drug, which was originally developed to treat Ebola and is produced by the pharmaceutical company Gilead in California, should not be seen as a “magic bullet” for the coronavirus.
The drug interferes with the virus’s genome, disrupting its ability to replicate.
During a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Gilead Chief Executive Daniel O’Day said that FDA clearance was an important first step.
The company would donate 1.5 million vials of the drug, he said.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn also said at the meeting: “It is the first licensed therapy for Covid-19, so we are very proud to be a part of it.”
FDA emergency authorization is not the same as formal approval, which requires a higher level of review.
The drug did not cure Ebola, and Gilead says on its website: “Remdesivir is an experimental drug that has not established safety or efficacy for treating any condition.” Gilead also warns of possible serious side effects.
However, President Trump has been a vocal advocate of remdesivir as a potential treatment for coronavirus.
In its clinical trial, the full results of which have not yet been published, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). USA He found that remdesivir reduced the duration of symptoms from 15 days to 11.
The trials involved 1,063 people in hospitals around the world, including the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, and South Korea. Some patients received the medication and others received a placebo (dummy) treatment.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads the NIAID, said that remdesivir had “a clear, significant, and positive effect in decreasing recovery time.”
However, while remdesivir may aid recovery, and possibly prevent people from having to be treated in intensive care, the trials did not give any clear indication of whether it can prevent coronavirus deaths.
As there is still uncertainty about the treatment regimen, Gilead suggests a dosage duration of 10 days for patients on respirators and five days for patients who are not.
– BBC
