Health chiefs grant NHS emergency access to give severely ill Covid-19 patients promising Ebola drug remdesivir
- Remdesivir has been trialled in NHS hospitals for weeks and shown promise
- It is a generic virus-destroying drug initially made in a bid to tackle Ebola
- NHS doctors will now be able to prescribe it to any critically ill COVID-19 patients
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Coronavirus patients in Britain can now be treated with remdesivir, the Ebola drug which has shown promise in battling the infection.
The Department of Health announced today that adults and teenagers with severe COVID-19 will be allowed to be treated with remdesivir if they fit specific criteria.
These criteria have not yet been laid out by the Government but doctors will be expected to decide on a case-by-case basis who is most likely to benefit.
Early trials of remdesivir have suggested that it can speed up people’s time to recovery by four days, British officials said.
Doctors in the US and Japan are already using the medication to treat COVID-19 patients under emergency access schemes, and the UK is now following suit in the face of incontrovertible scientific evidence.
Lord James Bethell, Government minister for innovation, said: ‘This shows fantastic progress.
‘As we navigate this unprecedented period, we must be on the front foot of the latest medical advancements, while always ensuring patient safety remains a top priority.
‘The latest, expert scientific advice is at the heart of every decision we make, and we will continue to monitor remdesivir’s success in clinical trials across the country to ensure the best results for UK patients.’
Remdesivir may be the closest thing doctors currently have to a cure for the coronavirus, after trials showed it can shave days off patients’ recovery times