Gilead's antiviral drug remdesivir has been authorized by US regulators for emergency use on coronavirus patients, President Donald Trump announced Friday.

US medical officials have announced evidence from a trial that remdesivir helped patients with serious cases of COVID-19 recover faster.

Trump has been a vocal supporter of remdesivir as a possible way to bring the novel coronavirus pandemic under control. Nearly 65,000 Americans have died in the global crisis.