The antiviral drug remdesivir has received provisional approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration but Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth says there is no evidence it prevents coronavirus death or infection.
The Australian government will seek to buy more supplies of the antiviral drug remdesivir after the treatment was given provisional approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.Manufactured by US company Gilead Sciences, remdesivir is one of the more promising treatments to reduce hospitalisation time for those suffering from severe coronavirus infections.
So far, none of the international trials have delivered conclusive results it is effective on all patients treated. In June, the United States government moved to secure near-exclusive access to the drug until October. Dr Coatsworth said he was hopeful for a vaccine, but that one was likely to be 18 to 24 months away so we"need to prepare ourselves for a world without a vaccine". As Victoria recorded another day of more then 200 cases, a new COVID-19 cluster has emerged in New South Wales.
"We are at a critical point on the fight to contain the COVID-19," a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
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