The United States is spending $3.2 billion to develop drugs to fight COVID-19 and other viruses that could turn into pandemics. Dr. Anthony Fauci is the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He announced the investment during a Thursday briefing at the White House. The investment is part of a new “antiviral program for pandemics” that will develop drugs to treat diseases caused by dangerous viruses like the coronavirus. The investment will speed up human trials of several promising drugs to treat COVID-19. Some are already under development and could be ready by year's end. The money will also provide support for research, development and manufacturing. Fauci said the new program would invest in “accelerating things that are already in progress” for COVID-19. He added it will also support new treatments for other viruses. “There are few treatments that exist for many of the viruses that have pandemic potential,” said Fauci. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved one antiviral drug, remdesivir, against COVID-19. But the World Health Organization recommended against its use in COVID-19 patients. The drug was originally developed for the Ebola virus. The health agency has also permitted emergency use of three antibody treatments to help the body fight the virus. All the currently available treatments must be performed at hospitals or medical centers. They have mostly been shown to help patients avoid hospitalization or shorten their recovery time by several days. Health experts, including Fauci, have been calling for the development of a simple drug that patients could take themselves. Several companies, including Merck, Pfizer, and Roche, are now testing such a treatment. News of the Biden administration’s plans for the “antiviral program for pandemics” was first reported by The New York Times. The news organization said Fauci’s support for the program came from his own experience fighting AIDS some thirty years ago. In the 1990s, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, under Fauci, conducted research that led to some of the first antiviral drugs for H.I.V., the virus
Title: US to Invest $3 Billion on Antiviral Drugs for COVID-19
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US to Invest $3 Billion on Antiviral Drugs for COVID-19' data-article-id='5702'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13000'>The United States is spending $3.2 billion to develop drugs to fight COVID-19 and other viruses that could turn into pandemics.</span> <span data-start-time='13000' data-end-time='20146'>Dr. Anthony Fauci is the nation’s top infectious disease expert. </span> <span data-start-time='20146' data-end-time='27104'>He announced the investment during a Thursday briefing at the White House. </span> <span data-start-time='27104' data-end-time='42104'>The investment is part of a new “antiviral program for pandemics” that will develop drugs to treat diseases caused by dangerous viruses like the coronavirus.</span> <span data-start-time='42104' data-end-time='50938'>The investment will speed up human trials of several promising drugs to treat COVID-19. </span> <span data-start-time='50938' data-end-time='57167'>Some are already under development and could be ready by year's end. </span> <span data-start-time='57167' data-end-time='65000'>The money will also provide support for research, development and manufacturing.</span> <span data-start-time='65000' data-end-time='76083'>Fauci said the new program would invest in “accelerating things that are already in progress” for COVID-19. </span> <span data-start-time='76083' data-end-time='83417'>He added it will also support new treatments for other viruses.</span> <span data-start-time='83417' data-end-time='92417'>“There are few treatments that exist for many of the viruses that have pandemic potential,” said Fauci.</span> <span data-start-time='92417' data-end-time='105125'>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved one antiviral drug, remdesivir, against COVID-19. </span> <span data-start-time='105125' data-end-time='113667'>But the World Health Organization recommended against its use in COVID-19 patients. </span> <span data-start-time='113667' data-end-time='118896'>The drug was originally developed for the Ebola virus.</span> <span data-start-time='118896' data-end-time='129500'>The health agency has also permitted emergency use of three antibody treatments to help the body fight the virus.</span> <span data-start-time='129500' data-end-time='136542'>All the currently available treatments must be performed at hospitals or medical centers. </span> <span data-start-time='136542' data-end-time='147521'>They have mostly been shown to help patients avoid hospitalization or shorten their recovery time by several days.</span> <span data-start-time='147521' data-end-time='158792'>Health experts, including Fauci, have been calling for the development of a simple drug that patients could take themselves. </span> <span data-start-time='158792' data-end-time='166708'>Several companies, including Merck, Pfizer, and Roche, are now testing such a treatment.</span> <span data-start-time='166708' data-end-time='178208'>News of the Biden administration’s plans for the “antiviral program for pandemics” was first reported by The New York Times.</span> <span data-start-time='178208' data-end-time='188313'>The news organization said Fauci’s support for the program came from his own experience fighting AIDS some thirty years ago. </span> <span data-start-time='188313' data-end-time='206458'>In the 1990s, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, under Fauci, conducted research that led to some of the first antiviral drugs for H.I.V., the virus </span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/C.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17608 data-hint-location='65000' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/what_does_accelerating_mean.wav'>What does accelerating mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='increase in amount, extent, or speed'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/increase_in_amount_extent_or_speed.wav'><span>increase in amount, extent, or speed</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/reduce_to_a_lower_grade_rank_or_level_of_importance.wav'><span>reduce to a lower grade, rank, or level of importance</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/the_activity_of_dancing_for_pleasure_or_in_order_to_entertain_others.wav'><span>the activity of dancing for pleasure or in order to entertain others</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/willing_to_fit_in_with_someones_wishes_or_needs.wav'><span>willing to fit in with someone's wishes or needs</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17609 data-hint-location='92417' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/how_many_antiviral_drugs_has_the_fda_approved_for_covid19_patients.wav'>How many antiviral drugs has the FDA approved for COVID-19 patients?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='one'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/one.wav'><span>one</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/two.wav'><span>two</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/three.wav'><span>three</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/zero.wav'><span>zero</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17610 data-hint-location='20146' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/he_announced_the_investment_during_a_thursday_briefing_at_the__blank__house_.wav'>He announced the investment during a Thursday briefing at the <span class='blank'>White</span> House. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='White'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/white.wav'><span>White</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/waffle.wav'><span>Waffle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/home.wav'><span>Home</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5163/big.wav'><span>Big</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button 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