Gilead Sciences' remdesivir approved as COVID-19 drug

Japan and the United States are the only countries to authorise use of remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19  

On Thursday, Japan approved Gilead Sciences Inc’s remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. It is also to be noted that this is the first drug officially authorised by the country. 

A health, labour and welfare ministry official said, "Remdesivir was approved under exceptional measures." 

This makes Japan the second country to approve the drug after the US.

Remdesivir will be given to patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, according to Reuters. 

The NIAID trial suggested that remdesivir helped patients with serious breathing issues and require oxygen support to recover faster. 

On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended a month-long state of emergency until the end of May in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the Japanese government announced 120 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest number of new infections since April. The country has reported over 15,000 cases, almost 4,500 recoveries and 550-plus deaths.