Gilead manufactures remdesivir under the name Veklury, but the FDA had taken over its distribution in May after giving emergency approval for the drug as a coronavirus treatment.
Gilead said it has since increased manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for the drug in
"Over the past five months, [the
"Now, federal government oversight of the allocation of Veklury is not required because the drug is no longer a scarce resource -- a tribute to progress we have made against COVID-19 and to the strength of our partnerships with the private sector."
The HHS updated its Emergency Use Authorization for the drug to reflect the new arrangement.
Clinical results for the antiviral have been mixed, with one study in August showing the drug doesn't improve outcomes in people hospitalized with moderate pneumonia caused by COVID-19.
But research published in May suggested the drug might be effective in people with severe COVID-19.
A study published by the
Researched published last month showed that remdesivir administered in combination with baricitinib -- treatment for rheumatoid arthritis -- can reduce the recovery time for people with COVID-19 when compared to people treated with just the antiviral.
Originally developed to treat Ebola virus, remdesivir works by slowing the production of enzymes that play a key role in the replication of viruses, including coronaviruses, according to
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