Việt Nam will license Remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment soon. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will soon license Remdesivir as a COVID-19 treatment.

Remdesivir was the first antiviral drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October, 2020 for treating COVID-19. It has the ability to shorten treatment times and speed up recovery for critically ill patients.

The drug has been approved and is authorised for use in approximately 50 countries worldwide. It is now one of the world's leading specialised drugs.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn said through donations and aid, Việt Nam has used Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients at some medical facilities. The results showed that the drug Remdesivir helped patients reduce their viral load quickly.

The country will soon consider licensing and adding this drug to the list of available treatments. The ministry has assigned the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment to work with health experts to research and provide guidance for the drug.

However, Sơn noted that people cannot buy and use this drug but rather Remdesivir must be ordered by doctors at treatment facilities.

Early this month, Vingroup said it has successfully negotiated and signed an order of 500,000 vials of Remdesivir, which was manufactured by India-based Cipla Pharmaceutical Company with the permission of Gilead Sciences, USA. All of the drugs will be donated to the Ministry of Health to contribute to speeding up the treatment of COVID-19 patients as soon as the shipment arrives in Việt Nam this month.

Remdesivir is used for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients according to the guidelines in the treatment protocol of the Ministry of Health. The 500,000 vials are capable of supporting the treatment of between 80,000 to 100,000 COVID-19 patients.

Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long said as soon as Remdesivir arrives in Việt Nam, it will be used for COVID-19 patients, including moderate patients.

In the near future, Việt Nam will import more drugs to treat COVID-19.

India to provide 1 million doses of COVID-19 treatment to Việt Nam

Initial information from the Viêt Nam Embassy to India revealed that Indian enterprises have committed to providing about one million doses of Remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment in Việt Nam in the next 30 days.

This is the result of negotiations between Việt Nam's Embassy in India and Indian pharmaceutical enterprises. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Industry and Trade will make it as easy as possible for Indian enterprises to complete the procedures necessary to export the drugs to Việt Nam. — VNS