The currently approved version of remdesivir is administered intravenously. Gilead hopes that an inhaled version would allow for easier administration outside hospitals and at earlier stages of COVID-19.
Remdesivir can’t be administered in pill form because its chemical makeup would affect the liver, according to CNBC.
The inhaled version would be delivered through a nebulizer, Mr. O’Day wrote in an open letter.
Gilead also plans to conduct trials of intravenous infusions of remdesivir in outpatient settings, such as infusion centers and nursing homes. It will study whether remdesivir could improve patient outcomes by combining it with other therapies, and whether remdesivir is effective in earlier stages of the disease.
Mr. O’Day said the drugmaker plans to have more than 2 million remdesivir treatment courses by the end of the year.
Read the full letter here.
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