Well, maybe it is time to see some light at the end of the tunnel in the pandemic! FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) has finally approved a drug called Veklury (remdesivir) as the first drug to treat COVID-19. The FDA said that the drug is approved for patients above the age of 12 years and weighing at least 40 kilograms (88 pounds) requiring hospitalization. In a statement, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said, “Today’s approval is supported by data from multiple clinical trials that the agency has rigorously assessed and represents an important scientific milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the FDA’s Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, the agency will to continue to help move new medical products to patients as soon as possible, while at the same time determining whether they are effective and if their benefits outweigh their risks.”
The FDA previously had given emergency approval in May, after it showed a reduction in recovery time in hospitalized patients. Even President Donald Trump received the drug when he showed the symptoms of COVID-19. Remdesvir as a drug was originally made to treat Hepatitis C and Ebola. However, the drug has been a center of attraction for a while now. According to CNN, a study by the World Health Organization had found that the drug had not shown massive recovery, however, a US study found out that the drug could increase recovery by a third. Speaking to the New York Times, Dr. Peter Lurie, a former associate commissioner with the F.D.A said he wasn’t really impressed. He said, “This is not a blockbuster drug. This is not some massive breakthrough. It’s a drug that appears convincingly to benefit patients, but it’s not some kind of miracle cure.” Even Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) shared the same opinion. Speaking to CNN he said, ” “It wasn’t a home run. It wasn’t a remarkable improvement in terms of mortality, or even the lengthening or shortening of the length of hospital stay, but it did show some marginal benefit.”
Home run or not, this is that smallest peak of light that lifts up our spirits for sure!
Hello Akanksha!
First I absolutely love the layout of your blog. It is so captivating and creative. The world can use a lot of positive news right now with everything going on. This particular topic is an extremely difficult one to discuss now. Especially because all the news that they discuss regarding COVID-19. This is a shimmer of light during a very dark period the last several months. Thank you for bringing us some positivity during these unprecedented and difficult times.