EU orders 30,000 remdesivir coronavirus treatments

BRUSSELS: The European Commission has ordered 30,000 treatment doses of the antiviral medication remdesivir from US drugs giant Gilead, it announced Wednesday.

Sold under the brand name Veklury, remdesivir is the first medicine to be approved by the EU to treat victims of the Covid-19 pandemic in EU member states and Britain.

It is hoped the drug will shorten recovery times for patients with severe infections and it will be made available early next month. The first batch of doses will cost 63 million euros ($73 million) and ought to cover needs for the next few months before a second procurement contract in October.