The FDA agreed to the withdrawal, and said it is actively working to speed development of medical products desperately needed to prevent or treat the highly contagious COVID-19 illness caused by the virus.
The company was criticized by lawmakers and patient advocates after receiving the orphan designation on Monday for the experimental antiviral drug, saying it was taking advantage of the rapidly accelerating health crisis.
The drug, which previously failed as an Ebola treatment, is being tried on COVID-19 patients.