WHO Tells Doctors Not to Use Gilead's Remdesivir as a Coronavirus Treatment, Splitting With FDA

CNBC reports that a World Health Organization (WHO) panel broke with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by warning doctors against using Gilead Sciences' antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for patients hospitalized with COVID-19, citing no current evidence that it extends survival or accelerates recovery time. In a recommendation published in The BMJ , the WHO Guideline Development Group said its conclusions are derived from new findings on the effects of several drug treatments. The FDA on Oct. 22 formally approved remdesivir for adults and children 12 and older who require hospitalization for COVID-19. Gilead has publicly disputed the findings of the WHO study, claiming that multiple randomized, controlled trials show the drug speeds up recovery time. The WHO panel admitted that the evidence thus far fails to prove that remdesivir "has no benefit," but added that in view of the potential for harm and the high cost and resources for administering the drug, it is an "appropriate recommendation."