Japan approves remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment in expedited review

The Japanese government approved Thursday the use of the anti-viral drug remdesivir for novel coronavirus patients in an expedited review as Japan, like other countries, scrambles to contain COVID-19 with the death toll gradually rising.The government fast-tracked its approval of remdesivir just three days after the Japanese unit of U.S. developer Gilead Sciences Inc. filed an application, and one week after the United States authorized emergency use of the drug for COVID-19 patients.Remdesivir, originally developed as a possible treatment for Ebola, is the first therapeutic drug approved i…READ FULL ARTICLE