Potential COVID-19 Treatment Drug Gets FDA Emergency Use Authorization

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the drug remdesivir, “for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19”.

Although, the FDA warned “there is limited information known about the safety and effectiveness of using remdesivir to treat people in the hospital with COVID-19”.

Recent clinical trials of remdesivir have “shown promise [of remdesivir’s use] as an effective treatment for the virus”. Based on these promising tests, the FDA determined that “it is reasonable to believe” remdesivir may be effective in treating COVID-19. Additionally, given there are no alternative treatments, “the known and potential benefits” of remdesivir “outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug’s use.”

The FDA clarified how an emergency use authorization “is different than FDA approval”, and can terminated or revoked at any time.