Remdesivir could reach coronavirus patients within days: Gilead CEO

CEO of American biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Daniel O'Day said Sunday that he expects the experimental anti-viral drug Remdesivir to be delivered for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the coming days.

"We intend to get that to patients in the early part of this next week, beginning to work with the government, which will determine which cities are most vulnerable and where the patients are that need this medicine," O'Day told U.S. television network CBS.

Gilead has donated the entirety of its supply of Remdesivir -- roughly 1.5 million vials, or 100,000 to 200,000 treatment courses depending on the length of treatment, O'Day said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Remdesivir to treat COVID-19.

Data from a clinical trial have suggested that the antiviral drug Remdesivir showed "quite good news" and sets a new standard of care for COVID-19 patients, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, earlier this week.

There are no medicines approved by the FDA as safe and effective to treat patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the FDA has authorized the emergency use of Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 under an EUA, said the agency.

Remdesivir is not yet licensed or approved anywhere globally while multiple Phase 3 studies are ongoing to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug for the treatment of COVID-19.