FDA OKs emergency use of Gilead's remdesivir for some COVID-19 cases

Hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms will soon have a treatment available. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use authorization for Gilead Sciences' investigational antiviral remdesivir.

The optimal duration of treatment is still being studied in ongoing clinical trials. Under the EUA, both 5-day and 10-day treatment durations are suggested, based on the severity of disease. 

The government will coordinate the donation and distribution of remdesivir to hospitals in cities most heavily impacted by COVID-19. Given the severity of illness of patients appropriate for remdesivir treatment and the limited availability of drug supply, hospitals with intensive care units and other hospitals that the government deems most in need will receive priority in the distribution of remdesivir, Gilead Sciences said.

Gilead Sciences is working with the government on the logistics of remdesivir distribution and will provide more information when the company begins shipping the drug under the EUA.

“This EUA opens the way for us to provide emergency use of remdesivir to more patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19,” said Daniel O’Day, chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences. “We will continue to work with partners across the globe to increase our supply of remdesivir while advancing our ongoing clinical trials to supplement our understanding of the drug’s profile. We are working to meet the needs of patients, their families and healthcare workers around the world with the greatest sense of urgency and responsibility.”