Gilead Science Inc on Friday announced that its antiviral drug remdesivir had been granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for broader use to treat Covid-19 patients.

“The EUA will facilitate broader use of remdesivir to treat hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19 disease, enabling access to remdesivir at additional hospitals across the country,” Gilead said in an official statement.

The drug has been given a temporary authorization only for Covid-19 patients.

“Remdesivir (GS-5734™) is authorized for use under a EUA only for the treatment of patients with suspected or laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe Covid-19 disease,” the company said.

“SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 disease. Severe disease is defined as patients with an oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≤ 94% on room air or requiring supplemental oxygen or requiring mechanical ventilation or requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Remdesivir is authorized for adult or pediatric patients who are admitted to a hospital and for whom use of an IV agent is clinically appropriate, as remdesivir must be administered intravenously,” the company further clarified.

The most effective use in treatment and its impact is currently being studied within Gilead’s ongoing clinical trials.

The EUA suggests both 5-day and 10-day treatment durations based on the severity of the disease.

Gilead has donated 1.5 million individual doses of remdesivir for the usage which equates to over 140,000 treatment courses that will be provided at no cost to treat patients following potential emergency authorizations and regulatory approvals, including this EUA.

“The company has set a goal of producing at least 500,000 treatment courses by October, 1 million treatment courses by December 2020 and millions more in 2021, if required,” it said.

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