U.S. FDA grants emergency use for remdesivir for very sick coronavirus patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir drug to treat people with severe coronavirus illness, American President Donald Trump announced on Friday.

The EUA means that remdesivir has not undergone the same level of review as an FDA-approved treatment, a fact sheet from the agency on the drug showed. However, doctors will be allowed to use remdesivir on patients hospitalised with the disease even though the agency had not formally approved the drug.

Trump made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, and Daniel O’Day, chief executive of Gilead Sciences.

O’Day told reporters: “We want to thank the collaborators that brought remdesivir to this point and many of our people that have been part of this, in fact, the caregivers.”