The New York Times. Friday May 1st, 2020. The F.D.A. authorizes emergency use of a new virus treatment. Click here for more.

Coronavirus Updates: White House Blocks Fauci From Speaking to Congress https://nyti.ms/3feS5Lh

The New York Times.

Friday May 1st, 2020. 

The F.D.A. authorizes emergency use of a new virus treatment. 

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an emergency approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for patients with Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus.

The approval, formally called an emergency use authorization, had been expected following modestly encouraging results from a federal trial, announced on Wednesday.

The trial found that patients receiving remdesivir recovered more quickly: in 11 days, versus 15 in a group receiving a placebo. But the drug, made by Gilead Sciences, did not significantly reduce fatality rates.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the president announced the F.D.A. approval and called it “an important treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients.”

The president said that he was “pleased” that Gilead had received its emergency authorization. “And you know what, that is because that’s been the hot thing in the papers and in the media for the last little while — an important treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients,” he said.

Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the coordinator of the virus task force, said that the F.D.A. approval of remdesivir “really illustrates what can happen in such a short time” noting how fast the approval followed the first known cases in the United States.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the federal government’s top expert on infectious diseases, said earlier this week that the results were “a very important proof of concept” but not a “knockout.”