Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new antiviral drugs for the treatment of the COVID-19 virus. Veklury (Remdesivir) is an antiviral drug meant for adults and certain pediatric patients infected with COVID-19, and is administered intravenously (IV drip) both in hospitals and outpatient settings. In tandem with the introduction of Veklury, the FDA has also approved immune modulators, Olumiant (Baricitinib) and Actemra (Tocilizumab), which will only be used for certain hospitalized adults with COVID-19, and not in outpatient settings.
The antiviral oral treatment Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir tablets and Ritonavir tablets) has also been approved to treat COVID-19 in adults, both to prevent the infection entirely and to treat eligible non-hospitalized patients who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have symptoms, contact your healthcare professional to determine if any of these treatments are right for you. Remember that prevention and early treatment can help improve patient outcomes, reduce stress on healthcare facilities and even save lives.
However, while these treatments can be necessary for eligible patients, they are not a substitute for COVID-19 vaccination. These biologics and therapeutic drugs are helpful, especially in treating the infection, and can aid in prevention, but individuals are still advised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and available booster doses. Find available COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses near you at vaccines.gov.
The FDA continues to work with developers, researchers, manufacturers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other partners to in the development and availability of therapeutic drugs and biologics to prevent or treat COVID-19. Check if a drug is FDA-approved by searching their database of approved drugs: Drugs@FDA database.
Available treatment for COVID-19 is constantly evolving into forms and products that better respond to the virus. The products listed below are not currently licensed in the U.S. because they are not as effective against the currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. Suppliers with existing stocks of these products are encouraged to hold on to them. Staying knowledgeable on these possible treatments is important, should they prove more effective in the future, against new strains of COVID-19.
Treatments awaiting FDA approval include:
✔ Evusheld
✔ Bebtelovimab
✔ Sotrovimab
✔ REGEN-COV
✔ Bamlanivimab/etesevimab
✔ Bamlanivimab
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) offers summaries of key information on all outpatient therapies currently licensed or approved in the United States for COVID-19. Visit the link below for the latest updates from ASPR: https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19-Therapeutics/Side-by-Side-Overview/Pages/default.aspx.
References:
https://covidvaccineproject.org/treatments/
https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Pages/default.aspx
https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19-Therapeutics/Side-by-Side-Overview/Pages/default.aspx
Recent Comments