Resource: FDA Approves First Treatment for COVID-19
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Synopsis: FDA approved the antiviral drug Veklury (Remdesivir) for use in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older and weighing at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization. Veklury should only be administered in a hospital or in a healthcare setting capable of providing acute care comparable to inpatient hospital care.
Comment: Veklury better known as Remdesivir is the first FDA approved treatment for moderate to severe COVID-19 illness. 20% of patients who develop COVID-19 develop difficulty breathing and require hospital care. Remdesivir has been shown to decrease hospital stay by five days (from 17 days to 12 days). This drug is given intravenously and is confined to inpatient hospital care.
