In a press briefing, NIAID Director and White House health advisor Dr Anthony Fauci compared the positive results of this highly powered, placebo-controlled trial to the discovery of the first HIV drug over 30 years ago.
The trial in China evaluating its investigational antiviral remdesivir for coronavirus disease 2019 has been terminated early due to low enrollment and would therefore not provide statistically meaningful conclusions on the drug’s effectiveness.
Sarilumab is currently marketed under the brand name Kevzara for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in adults who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to 1 or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
The Agency is warning the public that the use of these agents should be limited to clinical trial settings or for treating certain hospitalized patients under the Emergency Use Authorization.
A phase 3 trial evaluating ruxolitinib (Jakafi; Incyte) for the treatment of COVID-19-associated cytokine storm is being initiated in patients 12 years of age and older.
The FDA has launched a new webpage with information for recovered individuals who were infected with COVID-19 on where they can go to donate plasma to aid in the treatment of severely ill patients.
Currently, there are no approved treatments for COVID-19, however, several investigational therapies are in the works.
Serological tests allow for identification of individuals who have overcome COVID-19 infection.
The ASHP warned that medications such as opioids, sedatives, and paralytics, which must be administered concomitantly with mechanical ventilation, are already in or will likely be in shortage as the demand for these drugs to treat critically ill patients outpaces supply.
The CDC is now recommending that individuals wear a cloth face covering in public settings in order to help slow the transmission of COVID-19.
