Did Nevada limit hospitals to only using Remdesivir to treat COVID-19?
In its July 2020 guidance for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services deferred to federal treatment recommendations and guidelines, which were evolving based on clinical evidence. Nevada's DHHS itself made no specific treatment recommendations.
The department noted that no FDA-approved drugs had demonstrated safety and effectiveness in randomized controlled trials, but that the FDA granted emergency authorization for Remdesivir to treat severe cases.
In October 2020, the FDA granted full approval of Remdesivir for treating severe COVID-19, and in January 2022, to treat non-hospitalized patients. The drug showed an 87% reduction in the risk of hospitalization in non-hospitalized patients given a three-day course.
Following clinical trials, the National Institutes of Health has expanded treatment recommendations to include a variety of medicines and therapies and Nevada's DHHS continues to recommend following federal guidelines.