FDA approves first COVID-19 drug. But it's 'not a blockbuster.': The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fully approved remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. The drug is now approved for use in hospitalized COVID-19 patients 12 years old and up, and weighing at least 40 kilograms, according to a statement from the FDA. Previously, the agency allowed doctors to give remdesivir to hospitalized patients through an emergency use authorization, or temporary permission only given "when there are no adequate, approved and available alternatives," according to the agency.
