The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given through an IV for patients needing hospitalization. It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now has become the first drug to win full U.S. approval for treating COVID-19. The FDA previously issued an emergency use authorization for the drug in May for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with severe infections. In August, the FDA reduced restrictions of drug usage, allowing COVID-19 patients without severe infections to be treated with the drug. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

U.S. regulators on Thursday approved the first drug to treat COVID-19: remdesivir, an antiviral medicine given to hospitalized patients through an IV. It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now becomes the first drug to win full Food and Drug Administration approval for treating COVID-19. For patients younger than 12, the FDA will still allow the drug’s use in certain cases under its previous emergency authorization. The drug is either approved or has temporary authorization in about 50 countries, he noted. The FDA also has given emergency authorization to using the blood of survivors, and two companies are currently seeking similar authorization for experimental antibody drugs.