The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted full approval to the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for patients hospitalized with Covid-19, after conditional authorization was given in May. Gilead said the drug, sold under the brand name Veklury, was the only specific treatment for Covid-19 approved so far under a more rigorous process. Remdesivir, which is administered by an injection, was one of the first drugs to show relative promise in shortening the time to recovery in some coronavirus patients. Emergency approval has been granted for its use on pediatric patients under the age of 12 weighing at least 3.5 kilos. Faster recovery timeThe drug was first developed to treat Ebola, a viral hemorrhagic fever.

Source: Daily Nation October 22, 2020 21:22 UTC