Browse By

Trump Wants FDA To Move On Remdesivir Coronavirus Approval

President Donald Trump said he wants the Food and Drug Administration to move “as quickly as they can” to approve Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for the coronavirus.

“We would like to see very quick approvals, especially with things that work,” he said at a roundtable at the White House with business executives Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the day, the FDA said it has been in “sustained and ongoing” discussions with Gilead to make remdesivir available to Covid-19 patients “as quickly as possible, as appropriate.”

White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said data from a coronavirus drug trial testing Gilead’s drug showed “quite good news” and sets a new standard of care for Covid-19 patients. Speaking to reporters from the White House, Fauci said he was told data from the trial showed a “clear-cut positive effect in diminishing time to recover.”

Trump has touted Gilead’s remdesivir as a potential treatment for the virus, which has infected more than 3.1 million people worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. A number of studies are testing the drug to see if it’s effective in stopping the coronavirus from replicating, but it is not yet a proven treatment.

Trump on Wednesday evening called the disclosed results from Fauci a “very big thing” and a “building block” in the fight against the virus.