Remdesivir Disappointments in COVID-19 Study

A new study raises fresh questions about the effectiveness of Gilead Sciences Inc’s anti-viral drug inhibitor in COVID-19 patients.

A randomized, controlled trial of brake desivir in 584 moderately ill COVID-19 patients with pneumonia yielded disappointing results in research published on Friday in JAMA. Compared to standard care without brake drug, a 10-day course of the drug showed no statistically significant effect on course disease at 11 days after treatment began, the study found.

A five-day course of brake dedication made a statistically significant difference, but one so small that researchers are not sure it really matters.

Several other gold standard subjects are still ongoing, but to this day, important questions remain about the effectiveness of brake derivatives, wrote Erin McCreary and Derek Angus of the University of Pittsburgh in an editorial published alongside the study. They raised questions about whether some patients benefit more from brakesivir than others and whether it is important for patients to receive brakesivir and steroids together.

It is still possible that remdesivir could improve recovery for millions of hospital patients with COVID-19, she added, but more research is needed before that becomes clear.

Remdesivir is currently sold under an authorization for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.

Gilead has submitted an application seeking full FDA approval. (https://bit.ly/2E59k3T;