ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico will soon receive its first shipment of the antiviral medication Remdesivir to help speed up the recovery process in COVID-19 patients.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, in partnership with the University of New Mexico Hospital and state health department, have been working for several weeks to secure Remdesivir.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the investigational drug to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 earlier this month.
Sen. Martin Heinrich sent the following statement to KOB 4 about the drug coming to New Mexico:
“After weeks of frustrating delays, Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ambassador Deborah Birx assured me that New Mexico would receive a disbursement of the antiviral drug remdesivir that could aid patients infected with the coronavirus. I am pleased that after Representatives Luján and Haaland and I teamed up to work every angle, and with the support of Ambassador Birx, we were notified today that the drug maker Gilead will be making its first shipment of remdesivir to New Mexico on Monday. Anything we can do to help patients suffering from this deadly virus is worth doing–no matter how incremental. As communities across New Mexico continue to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus, I will continue to work tirelessly to support a robust public health response–rooted in science, and secure resources for hospitals and health care workers so that they can continue their lifesaving work.”
