Why remdesivir, a highly effective treatment, is a last resort for providers
The antiviral infusion was just revived as an early treatment for COVID patients. But the drug is relatively expensive and hard to administer, relegating it what some are calling "stopgap" status.
In late December, as the omicron variant surged, the roster of early COVID-19 treatments was looking slim. Newly authorized pills for COVID-19 were in short supply. Several monoclonal antibody drugs didn't seem to work.
Then an older drug, remdesivir, emerged as an effective option.
Over the past year and a half, the drug — sold in the U.S. under the brand Veklury --had been used in hospitals to treat very sick patients with COVID-19. But new data from the drugmaker Gilead showed that remdesivir could also help high-risk patients avoid the hospital. In other words, it could help patients with medical conditions like immune suppression and diabetes prevent severe COVID-19 disease.
