Antiviral drug Remdesivir to arrive in Viet Nam this month

Under the guidance of the MoH, Vingroup has successfully negotiated the amount of drug, and will donate them to the ministry this month to contribute to the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Remdesivir is being used for COVID-19 patients suffering from moderate to severe clinical conditions in accordance with the ministry's guidance. The amount of drugs ordered this time could be used to support the treatment of about 80,000 to 100,000 COVID-19 patients in Viet Nam.

The ministry will conduct inspections and grant circulation licenses to hospitals that are treating COVID-19 patients nationwide.

The first batch of 105,000 drug vials is expected to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City before August 5 to support emergency treatment. 

Remdesivir is an antiviral drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States to treat COVID-19 patients from October 22, 2020.

Remdesivir has been included in the treatment regimens by 50 countries such as the US, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and India, and it has become one of the leading hard-to-access specialized drugs in the world.

As of morning of August 3, Viet Nam recorded 165,339 COVID-19 cases.  Among the national patient tally, 163,052 are locally-transmitted cases, of which 161,482 were documented in 62 cities and provinces since April 27 when the fourth wave of COVID-19 resurgence began.

The number of recoveries and fatalities are 46,965 and 1,881, respectively. 

By Thuy Dung