The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 14 approved Veklury, also known as remdesivir, to treat COVID-19 in people with severe renal impairment, including dialysis, despite data showing the drug increases the risk of kidney failure.
Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that targets the RNA in viruses to prevent replication. The FDA first authorized remdesivir for emergency use in May 2020 to treat people with severe COVID-19. It has since been approved for adults and children as young as 28 days who weigh at least 6.6 pounds.
Remdesivir is the first and only FDA-approved antiviral COVID-19 treatment for people with renal disease….