Transcript
Researchers have good news about a possible COVID-19 treatment.
According to the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci remdesivir is the first drug to show an impact in treating the virus.
A trial of the drug showed it might help patients recover quickly from the infection.
Remdesivir was originally created to fight Ebola but it wasn’t effective against that disease.
However coronavirus patients who took it recovered at a rate of 31-percent faster than those on placebo.
The US Food and Drug Administration plans to announce an emergency-use authorization for the drug as soon as this week.
The CEO of Gilead Sciences, the company that makes remdesivir, says they have enough to treat 140-thousand patients.
Meanwhile German company BioNTech begun human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine that could supply millions by the end of the year.
The company is working with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Pfizer says it could start testing in the US next week and the vaccine could be ready for emergency use in the fall.
Posted – 4.30.20