(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday that U.S. hospitals can now buy Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:GILD)'s antiviral COVID-19 drug remdesivir from the company and its distributor.
The drug, branded as Veklury, was being distributed across the United States by HHS.
Gilead said it is now meeting real-time demand for remdesivir in the U.S. and anticipates meeting global demand for the drug in October, even in the event of potential future surges of COVID-19.
Gilead donated courses of the drug after it was authorized in May for use in patients with a severe form of COVID-19. Trial data showed the antiviral drug helped shorten hospital recovery time.
AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC) will continue to serve as the sole U.S. distributor of remdesivir through the end of this year and will sell the product directly to hospitals, Gilead said.