Benzinga | Dec 6, 2021 06:00AM EST

Gilead Recalls Two Lots Of Remdesivir Due To Presence Of Glass Particulates

Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:GILD) has issued a nationwide recall of two lots of its COVID-19 treatment drug Remdesivir because of the presence of glass particulates.

* Remdesivir, also known by its brand name Veklury, is typically used for adults and children over 12 years requiring hospitalization for cOVID-19 and is generally given by intravenous (IV) infusion once daily for up to 10 days.

* "Gilead Sciences received a customer complaint, confirmed by the firm's investigation, of the presence of glass particulates," the company said in a statement.

* "The administration of an injectable product that contains glass particulates may result in local irritation or swelling in response to the foreign material. If the glass particulate reaches the blood vessels, it can travel to various organs and block blood vessels in the heart, lungs, or brain, which can cause stroke and even lead to death," it added.

* But Gilead noted that it had not "received any reports of adverse events related to this recall to date."

* The company's spokesman Chris Ridley told Bloomberg that the recall involved some 55,000 vials of the drug, enough to treat 11,000 hospitalized patients.

* Amid the spread of the omicron variant, the company said this week that it expected Remdesivir to "continue to be active" against the new variant and that it would conduct laboratory testing to assess that analysis.

* Price Action: GILD shares closed lower by 0.16% at $69.56 on Friday.