The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on Thursday the first drug to treat COVID-19.
Remdesivir is an antiviral medicine given to hospitalized patients through an IV.
The drug had been sanctioned for use on an emergency basis since spring but now, it has become the first drug to win full US endorsement for treating Covid-19, according to The Guardian.
The drug’s maker, Gilead Sciences, made the announcement Thursday saying the medicine would only be used in cases that needed mandatory hospitalization. The Associated Press reported that the drug will be sold under the brand name Veklury.
As many know, Remdesivir was used to “treat” President Donald Trump when he was hospitalized for three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center earlier this month after testing “positive” for the virus.
The drug has gotten mixed reviews by public health officials but the World Health Organization also conducted a study that last week concluded the drug has “little or no effect” on death rates among hospitalized patients.
