Dr. Deborah Birx has been chosen to help manage the distribution of remdesivir to hospitals across the country, the White House said Friday, amid mounting frustration among doctors who say they have been unable to access the drug for her sicker COVID-19 patients.
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Birx, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, is the person “who constantly checks the numbers, constantly checks the data,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said during a briefing on Friday.
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“She really has the best understanding of how that should be distributed, so she will be one of the top consultants.”
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A week ago, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for remdesivir after preliminary evidence found that the drug reduced the time patients had to spend in the hospital from 15 days, on average, to 11 .
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