Use Of Ebola Drug, Remdesivir, To Treat Covid-19 Approved In The US

The US’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised the emergency use of the Ebola drug remdesivir for treating the coronavirus.

The authorisation means the anti-viral drug can now be used on people who are hospitalised with severe Covid-19.

A recent clinical trial showed the drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill.

But emergency FDA authorisation is not the same as formal approval, which requires a higher level of review.

Experts have also warned the drug – which was originally developed to treat Ebola, and is produced by Gilead pharmaceutical company – shouldn’t be seen as a “magic bullet” for coronavirus.