Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2025 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Whether FDA’s approval of Remdesivir is politically driven

The Food and Drug Administration approved Remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 last week. The drug was approved for emergency use during the spring, and was part of the cocktail of drugs used to treat President Donald Trump in early October.

  • rss
  • Share
By Madeleine Brand • Oct 30, 2020 • 7m Listen

The Food and Drug Administration approved Remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19 last week. The drug was approved for emergency use during the spring, and was part of the cocktail of drugs used to treat President Donald Trump in early October.

Early in the pandemic, there were high hopes for Remdesivir. But a recent World Health Organization study found that it had no effect on COVID-19 deaths or recovery time.

So why did the U.S. approve it for coronavirus? Some experts say it’s a political move.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Sarah Sweeney

    Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

  • KCRW placeholder

    Michell Eloy

    Line Editor, Press Play

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Amy Ta

    Digital News & Culture Editor

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jon Cohen

    senior correspondent at Science Magazine

    NewsPoliticsCoronavirus
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand