The EU's medicines regulator has said it is investigating reports of possible “acute” kidney damage in patients taking the coronavirus drug remdesivir, made by US pharma giant Gilead.

“EMA's safety committee has started a review [...] to assess reports of acute kidney injury in some patients with Covid-19 taking Veklury (remdesivir),” it said in a statement.

The regulator said it had “not been determined whether there is a causal relationship” between remdesivir and kidney problems, but that the issue “warrants further investigation”.

Covid-19 itself could also cause kidney injuries, the regulator noted, according to AFP.