WHO suspends Remdesivir from list of medicines for Coronavirus

The World Health Organization said on Friday it has suspended Gilead’s remdesivir from its so-called prequalification list, an official list of medicines used as a benchmark for procurement by developing countries, after issuing guidance against its use in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

“Yes we have suspended it from the PQ (prequalification list),” Tarik Jasarevic said in an emailed response to Reuters.

“The suspension is a signal to countries that WHO, in compliance with the treatment guidelines, does not recommend countries procure the drug for COVID.”

He added that the WHO was not aware that any international procurers were providing the drug to low- and middle-income countries.

The United States, the European Union and other countries have granted temporary approval for the use of remdesivir after initial research showed it may shorten recovery time in some coronavirus patients.

US President Donald Trump was treated with remdesivir among other medicines after he tested positive for Covid-19 in October.

Friday's WHO recommendation was based on four international randomised trials among more than 7,000 patients hospitalised with the virus.

Manufacturer Gilead said last month that the drug had boosted 2020 third quarter sales by almost $900 million. Initially developed as a treatment for the Ebola virus, remdesivir was found in one study published in May to reduce the length of hospital stays for Covid-19 sufferers from 15 to 11 days on average.