Shafaq News/ The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the drug Actemra for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 adults and pediatric patients, the health agency said on Thursday.

The EUA was issued to Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche Holding AG (ROG.S).

The drug can be used to treat patients who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, FDA said.

The EUA is based on results from four randomized, controlled studies that evaluated Actemra for the treatment of COVID-19 in more than 5,500 hospitalized patients, Genentech said in a separate statement.

Actemra is not authorized for use in outpatients with COVID-19 or as a treatment for COVID-19, the health agency said.

In the clinical trials, Actemra was shown to reduce the risk of death and time taken to recover by hospitalised patients, the FDA added.

Last year, the FDA approved Gilead Sciences Inc's (GILD.O) antiviral drug remdesivir for treating patients hospitalized with COVID-19.