US FDA approves first Covid-19 treatment for young children

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One vial of the Remdesivir drug at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Northern Germany, on April 8, 2020, - AFP

LOS ANGELES - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday expanded its approval of the Covid-19 treatment Veklury, also known as remdesivir, to include pediatric patients 28 days of age and older weighing at least 3 kilogrammes who are infected by SARS-CoV-2.

This action makes Veklury the first approved Covid-19 treatment for children less than 12 years of age, said the FDA.

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Veklury is approved for young children who are hospitalised, or have mild-to-moderate Covid-19 and are at high risk for progression to severe Covid-19, according to the FDA, said Xinhua.

Previously, Veklury was only approved to treat Covid-19 for certain adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 40 kilogrammes.

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"As Covid-19 can cause severe illness in children, some of whom do not currently have a vaccination option, there continues to be a need for safe and effective Covid-19 treatment options for this population," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research. - BERNAMA