Remdesivir May Be First Approved Drug Against New Coronavirus

Remdesivir may be first approved drug against new coronavirus

Three studies of the antiviral drug have been completed. One of them unambiguously confirmed its effect. Earlier, another one that did not prove the effectiveness of remdesivir was published on the WHO website, but it was soon removed. The publication of the material was then called a mistake.

Photo: Gustavo

The antiviral drug remdesivir may be the first officially approved drug to fight the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The results of three trials of the drug were announced yesterday.

American study

COVID-19 patients who took remdesivir recovered 31% faster than placebo patients, according to a new study. The average time required for recovery was 11 days and 15 days, respectively. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced this yesterday in a press release.

The report refers to a study that was conducted by the Institute in the USA (Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial, ACTT). It has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

According to the study, the drug contributed to the improvement of patient survival: in the remdesivir group, the mortality rate was 8%, in the placebo group - 11.6%.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview that the drug has shown "clear benefits."

5 or 10 days course

In a separate press release, Gilead announced the results of the SIMPLE study, in which one group of patients with severe COVID-19 received a five-day course of the drug, and the other a ten-day course. The effectiveness of both courses was the same on the 14th day of the study. Thus, if the drug is approved, the course of treatment can be expected to be relatively short.

Chinese study

Yesterday, The Lancet published the results of a study on remdesivir, which was conducted in China. Previously, its premature publication on the WHO website was called a mistake. This study did not demonstrate the drug's effectiveness in COVID-19. An editorial in the same journal says this study lacked the strength to objectively evaluate the drug. The fact is that instead of the planned 453 patients, scientists were able to recruit only 237 patients with the necessary clinical characteristics. As a result, the study lacked statistical reliability.

In a comment to CNN, a spokesperson for Gilead Sciences of the manufacturer of remdesivir said the FDA is in talks with the company about an early start of the drug for COVID-19.