UAE approves use of Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir drug to treat severely ill Covid-19 patients

American biopharma company Gilead Sciences said on Sunday that the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has granted regulatory approval of Veklury (remdesivir) as an emergency medicine for treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes Covid-19.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted remdesivir an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the treatment of hospitalised patients with severe Covid-19 infections in May.

In a press statement, the company added that the approval by the UAE authorities was supported by clinical data from the US National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases’ global Phase 3 trial, Gilead’s Phase 3 SIMPLE trial in patients with severe manifestations of Covid-19, and Remdesivir Compassionate Use Data, which suggested that this treatment helped patients recover faster and reduced mortality too.

Gilead has scaled up manufacturing of remdesivir.

“While there is currently limited global supply of remdesivir, the company anticipates new supply of the drug to start to become available in July, with supply continuing to increase through the end of this year and into next year,” it said.

“Gilead will work closely with the health authorities in UAE to provide guidance on anticipated drug supply based on local incidence and severity of disease.”

In June, the UAE began the world’s first phase II clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine, which – if successful – could enter production by the end of 2020 or early 2021.

Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm China National Biotec Group (CNBG) and Abu Dhabi-based Group 42 (G42) signed a clinical cooperation agreement to facilitate the trial that will be monitored by the UAE’s Department of Health (DoH) Abu Dhabi.

Read: UAE begins world’s first phase III clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine

On July 5, the UAE reported 683 new infections and 440 recoveries.

The total number of cases stands at 51,540 in the UAE, while 40,297 patients have recovered after contracting it.

Read also: GCC Covid-19 update: 683 infections in UAE, Saudi registers 3,580 cases