Remdesivir is the first officially approved treatment for COVID-19 in the U.S.
Following new results published in the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday from Gilead Science’s Phase 3 ACTT-1 trial, demonstrating faster recovery times than previously reported for the treatment of adults hospitalized with mild-moderate or severe cases of the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration formally approved its drug Remdesivir. The study also found Remdesivir reduced disease progression among severely ill patients who required oxygen.
Remdesivir is administered intravenously. According to the FDA, it should “only be administered in a hospital or in a healthcare setting capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care.” Treatment should be given across five days but may be extended up to 10 days if clinical improvement is not observed. Patients on ventilators should have a 10-day treatment.
Gilead reports that Remdesivir is now widely available in hospitals across the country. According to Gilead, it has also been shown to be effective against other viral diseases such as SARS, Ebola, and MERS; but it has not yet received approval as an official treatment for them.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For patients who are suffering from the COVID-19 virus to be administered the Remdesivir if their doctors feel it is appropriate.
- For work being done by other scientists and laboratories to provide effective therapeutics that will overcome the coronavirus.
Sources: FDA.gov, Wall Street Journal, Fox News
