<p>The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for treating patients hospitalized with Covid-19, making it the first and only drug approved for the disease.</p>.<p>Gilead said it is currently meeting real-time demand for remdesivir, which is sold under the brand name Veklury, in the United States and anticipates meeting global demand by the end of October.</p>.<p><strong>Follow: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/coronavirus-updates-cases-deaths-country-wise-worldometers-info-data-covid-19-834531.html" target="_blank">Coronavirus Worldometer | 15 countries with the highest number of cases, deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic</a></strong></p>.<p>Remdesivir, previously granted emergency use authorization by the FDA for Covid-19, was one of the drugs used to treat US President Donald Trump's coronavirus infection.</p>.<p>Remdesivir has become the standard of care for patients hospitalized with severe Covid-19 after a major study led by the National Institutes of Health showed that it reduced hospital stays by five days.</p>.<p>But doctors have remained wary of using the drug in patients with less severe illness.</p>.<p>The World Health Organization last week said its international trial of Covid-19 therapies found that remdesivir did not have a substantial effect on patients’ length of hospital stay or chances of survival. The study has not been reviewed by outside experts.</p>
<p>The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for treating patients hospitalized with Covid-19, making it the first and only drug approved for the disease.</p>.<p>Gilead said it is currently meeting real-time demand for remdesivir, which is sold under the brand name Veklury, in the United States and anticipates meeting global demand by the end of October.</p>.<p><strong>Follow: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/coronavirus-updates-cases-deaths-country-wise-worldometers-info-data-covid-19-834531.html" target="_blank">Coronavirus Worldometer | 15 countries with the highest number of cases, deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic</a></strong></p>.<p>Remdesivir, previously granted emergency use authorization by the FDA for Covid-19, was one of the drugs used to treat US President Donald Trump's coronavirus infection.</p>.<p>Remdesivir has become the standard of care for patients hospitalized with severe Covid-19 after a major study led by the National Institutes of Health showed that it reduced hospital stays by five days.</p>.<p>But doctors have remained wary of using the drug in patients with less severe illness.</p>.<p>The World Health Organization last week said its international trial of Covid-19 therapies found that remdesivir did not have a substantial effect on patients’ length of hospital stay or chances of survival. The study has not been reviewed by outside experts.</p>