BRUSSELS: The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, on Friday authorised the use of anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat the new coronavirus.

"Today's authorisation of a first medicine to treat Covid-19 is an important step forward in the fight against this virus," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a statement.

"We are granting this authorisation less than a month after the application was submitted, showing clearly the EU's determination to respond quickly whenever new treatments become available," she said.