Opinion: A powerful law gives HHS the right to take control of remdesivir manufacturing and distribution
A rare bright spot followed the emergence of Covid-19 and its spread across the globe: the discovery that remdesivir, an experimental antiviral originally developed by Gilead Sciences and the U.S. government for use against Ebola, works against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
Remdesivir isn’t a miracle drug. It has not been proven to significantly reduce patients’ risk of dying from Covid-19, though evidence from an NIH-led clinical trial indicates that it helps patients with severe Covid-19 recover more quickly, meaning they can leave the hospital sooner and return home. We urgently need more and better evidence of remdesivir’s (likely modest) benefits.
