LyrArc Article Gist
Dr. Gottlieb, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2017-2019, calls for a more aggressive effort by pharmaceutical companies to come up with effective antiviral and antibody drugs to fight coronavirus by this summer. He says effective testing and isolation of clusters by September when the virus could return would give the public reassurance that any return of the virus can be carefully controlled. The wide availability of new drug treatment with antiviral drugs that prevent the virus replicating, and antibody drugs that mimic the function of immune cells, would also reassure the public. The result of this sense of safety would help the economy recover as people could carry out activities in manufacturing and industry, and in retail stores. Gilead Sciences and Regeneron are two companies with new drugs in development and testing, and other companies worldwide are working hard to develop new drugs that work.