With many countries reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, interest in Gilead’s drug has been high because there are currently no approved treatments or preventive vaccines for COVID-19. Remdesivir was previously available only for patients enrolled in clinical trials or for patients cleared to get the drug under expanded use and compassionate use programs. Through Gilead's trials, more than 181 hospital locations around the world, including hospitals in 27 US states, have been administering the drug. Gilead said the federal government will coordinate the donation and distribution of remdesivir to hospitals in cities hardest hit by COVID-19. A draft study abstract released inadvertently by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last week said remdesivir failed to improve patients’ condition or reduce the pathogen’s presence in the bloodstream.

Source: bd News24 May 02, 2020 01:18 UTC