Health Canada has authorized the first drug for COVID-19 treatment. Remdesivir, brand name Veklury and manufactured by Gilead Sciences Canada, can be used to treat patients with severe symptoms, who have pneumonia and require oxygen.
It is authorized for use in adults and adolescents over the age of 12, with body weight of at least 40kg. It is is administered intravenously and can only be used in healthcare facilities where patients can be closely monitored.
This comes after Health Canada completed a six-week review of the available data on Remdesivir to determine if its benefits for treating COVID-19 outweigh its risks. Two clinical trials in Canada with the drug are ongoing.
