Connect with us

Health

Gilead recalls 55,000 vials of COVID drug due to glass shards

Gilead Sciences Inc. said it was recalling two lots of its COVID-19 drug remdesivir in the US after receiving a complaint about glass particles in the vials that was confirmed by a company investigation.

The recall involves 55,000 vials of the drug, or enough to treat 11,000 hospitalized patients, company spokesman Chris Ridley said in an interview. He said the recall wouldn’t impact supply of the drug in the US or the rest of the world, as the company has plenty of supply on hand.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

In a statement, Gilead said that it had received no reports of adverse events linked to the recall, which has only affected the US market.

“The administration of an injectable product that contains glass particulates may result in local irritation or swelling, Gilead said in the statement posted on its website. “If the glass particulate reaches the blood vessels it can travel to various organs and block blood vessels in the heart, lungs or brain which can cause stroke and even lead to death.

Remdesivir, or veklury, is a mainstay treatment used for hospitalized COVID patients.

Gilead said that hospitals that have vials of the drug subject to the recall should not use them, and return them to the company according to instructions in the recall notices going out to health facilities.

Read more:

Merkel urges Germans to get vaccinated in final podcast

Italian man tries to evade COVID jab using fake arm

Saudi Arabia to mandate COVID-19 booster shot for ‘immune’ Tawakkalna status

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health

Explainer: What is famine and how is it declared?

Amid growing global concerns over alarming hunger spikes in conflict-affected communities and talk of intensifying levels of food insecurity possibly leading to famine, we looked into how – and when – a famine is classified.

Continue Reading

Health

WHO study shows $39 return for each dollar invested in fight against TB

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday called for a funding boost in tuberculosis (TB) screening and prevention programmes to protect vulnerable populations and achieve key health goals.

Continue Reading

Health

‘Historic milestone’ as child mortality hits record low of 4.9 million in 2022

The fight against child mortality has reached an historic milestone the UN announced on Wednesday with latest estimates revealing the number of children dying prematurely before their fifth birthday fell to 4.9 million in 2022.

Continue Reading

Trending