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We have already written many articles here in the Index about remdesivir, but we have not yet presented in detail the drug that could save the lives of loved ones in serious health. As it plays a very important role in the therapeutic treatment of coronavirus patients and is a product developed by Hungary, we will now present it to our readers under a magnifying glass. We asked Richter for help, as the Hungarian company makes remdesivir.
Remdesivir is not a finished drug or vaccine, but an antiviral drug. It is made from so-called ribose derivatives by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. Because the research also showed activity against respiratory viruses such as coronaviruses, other pharmaceutical companies have been involved in its development.
It has also been used in clinical trials against Ebola, but since no marketing authorization has been sought for this or any other indication, remdesivir has not been used for any disease until October.
Richter successfully completed his synthesis on October 7, making Hungary one of the first to “jump” against the Covid-19 coronavirus. The chemical composition of the compound did not have to be changed by the Hungarian manufacturer.
Manufacturers are trying to combat Covid-19 with a wide variety of different active ingredients, and Richter chose remdesivir because the company is highly competitive in producing organic synthetic active ingredients. The company is also currently involved in five R&D projects aimed at curing coronavirus patients.
The active ingredient is produced in the Richter plant and there is no difference compared to the production mechanism of the other organic synthetic agents. When the active substance is ready, care must be taken to store it at the appropriate temperature, the temperature specified in the European authorization (2-8 degrees Celsius).
The manufactured doses are delivered to the hospitals involved in the therapeutic cycle, the list of hospitals is written here. The active substance is administered as a diluted intravenous infusion to patients with moderate to severe conditions. The administration is always decided by the doctor participating in the clinical trial according to the protocol presented by HECRIN (Hungarian Network for Clinical Research Infrastructure) and approved by the authority.
According to information provided by Richter, it has been clinically shown to accelerate the recovery of moderate to severe COVID-19 patients and reduce the mortality rate on a trend basis.
Due to its mechanism of action (it inhibits the growth of the virus or reduces the number of viruses), it improves the course of the disease and reduces symptoms (eg, fever, dyspnea, pain) in patients who need hospitalization, pneumonia, difficulty breathing or needing support. All we could find out was that more than 400 patients had been successfully administered since the start of therapy.
The active substance can be administered for 5 to 10 days under European authorization to patients over 12 years of age who weigh at least 40 kg.
They are still being investigated
Remdesivir was originally used in seven healthcare institutions in Hungary (four medical universities, South Pest Central Hospital, Korányi, and St. John’s Hospital). You can also start Miskolc, Nyíregyháza, Balassagyarmat, Szekszárd, Szolnok).
Remdesivir is still administered to patients in the clinical trial phase, the drug is in phase 3.
This means that it certainly cannot pose a serious threat to human health, but researchers still don’t have a perfectly clear and complete picture.
The EU did not support the WHO study
Although the results from Hungary are promising so far, World Health Organization (The solidarity study released by the WHO) for several other active substances, including remdesivir, found that they had little to no therapeutic effect against the Covid-19 virus. Gábor L. Kovács, director of HECRIN, told Index
no follow-up studies were conducted in this study, and countries and institutes that do not have much clinical trial experience were able to participate in the process.
That is why the European Union has decided not to fund the WHO study with money, but has launched its own research called ‘Discovery Trial’.
John Slavik made a similar statement to ATV, saying that research like remdesivir is generally judged by independent researchers, not the World Health Organization, and suggested that everyone wait for the end of clinical research before taking a firm stand.
(Cover image: Csaba Czeglédi / MTI)
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