The FDA said on Thursday that it had formally approved remdesivir as the first drug to treat Covid-19. https://t.co/x2vLRvhAhe
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 22, 2020
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Gilead Sciences’ drug Remedesivir to be used in treatment for Covid19. The decision comes despite significant data raising questions about the drug’s efficacy.
The FDA first granted emergency authorization for the drug to be used in May. By all accounts, however, the drug was not widely used by doctors or hospitals.
Gilead’s approval for the drug seems to have been a preordained however, as Dr. Anthony Fauci, very early on in the drug’s trials, said it would “set a new standard of care” for Covid19.
The drug was originally developed years ago by Gilead to treat Ebola. It has since been “repurposed” for Covid.
There has also been very little mention of even the World Health Organization’s trial data for the drug, which led many to consider the drug a “flop.”