Potential treatment for Covid-19

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/02/who-us-just-reported-deadliest-day-for-coronavirus.html

William Feuer
Published Sat, May 2 2020

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir drug to treat Covid-19, President Donald Trump announced Friday.

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

The intravenous drug has helped shorten the recovery time of some hospitalized Covid-19 patients, new clinical trial data suggests. Without other proven treatments, health-care workers will likely be considering its use.

The FDA previously authorized the emergency use of malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19. However, it later issued a warning against taking the drugs outside a hospital or formal clinical trial setting after it became aware of reports of “serious heart rhythm problems” in patients.

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