August 25, 2023 – The antiviral drug remdesivir has been approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19 in individuals with all stages of liver disease, drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc. announced Thursday.
This step is vital because there have previously been limited treatment options for severe cases of COVID-19 for some individuals with liver disease. Press releaseGilead called remdesivir (whose brand name is Veklury) “the first and only approved COVID-19 antiviral treatment that can be used in all stages of liver disease.”
Results from a Phase 1 study using the present dosage in people without liver problems revealed no recent safety concerns, the drugmaker reported.
Typically, the antiviral drug is given by injection or intravenously for 3 days to non-hospitalized individuals with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 who’re at high risk of the infection developing into severe disease, the National Institutes of Health. People already hospitalized with COVID will receive the infusion for five days. Antiviral drugs work by blocking the virus's ability to copy.
In October 2020, Remdesivir was the first antiviral approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19. Earlier this 12 months, the FDA approved remdesivir to be used in individuals with kidney problems, including those on dialysis.
