NEW DELHI: Amid an unprecedented surge in fresh Covid-19 infections, multiple states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, have flagged a shortage of anti-viral drug Remdesivir. The shortage prompted the government to halt the export of the drug and Remdesivir active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) till the Covid spread is contained. As the country witnesses a ferocious resurgence of the virus, so has the demand for this medicine. Here are a few questions answered on the use of Remdesivir for Covid treatment and problems in the supply chain management. How did Remdesivir come into use? Remdesivir is an investigational antiviral drug to fight Sars-Cov 2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gilead Sciences Inc’s antiviral therapy Remdesivir in October 2020, making it the first drug to obtain formal clearance for treating the coronavirus disease.