Gilead Sciences on Thursday received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for remdesivir, an antiviral treatment that has shown modest results against treating COVID-19.
Why it matters: It's the first and only fully FDA-approved drug in the U.S. for treating the coronavirus.
The big picture: The FDA issued an emergency use authorization in May after treatment with the drug was found to shorten some hospitalized patients' recovery time. The full approval would likely expand its use.
What they're saying: “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gilead has worked relentlessly to help find solutions to this global health crisis,” Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day said in a statement.
- “It is incredible to be in the position today, less than one year since the earliest case reports of the disease now known as COVID-19, of having an FDA-approved treatment in the U.S. that is available for all appropriate patients in need.”
