First Coronavirus Treatment Approved by the FDA The drug has shortened recovery time for many hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the antiviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) for the treatment of Covid-19 patients requiring hospitalization. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for Covid-19.

In an announcement yesterday, the FDA explained:

"The FDA is committed to expediting the development and availability of COVID-19 treatments during this unprecedented public health emergency," said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. "Today's approval is supported by data from multiple clinical trials that the agency has rigorously assessed and represents an important scientific milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the FDA's Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, the agency will to continue to help move new medical products to patients as soon as possible, while at the same time determining whether they are effective and if their benefits outweigh their risks."

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The drug will be used for patients who are at least 12 years old and require hospitalization, maker Gilead Sciences said. In the United States, more than 8,455,200 people have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 223,000 have died, according to a New York Times database.