The agency’s decision would provide lucrative incentives to the drug’s maker, Gilead Sciences, and could keep lower-priced generic versions of the medicine off the market for several years if remdesivir is approved for use, public health advocates say.

Remdesivir Gets Rare Disease Perks From FDA : Shots — Health News Gilead Science’s remdesivir, an antiviral medicine being tested for treatment of COVID-19, would get a seven-year monopoly if approved by the Food and Drug Administration.