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PARIS: The antiviral drug remdesivir should not be used to treat COVID-19 patients, regardless of the severity of their illness, as it “does not have a major effect” on the chances of survival, the World Health Organization said Friday. (November 20).
Noting one of the few treatments that had shown any initial promise in critically ill patients, a WHO Guidelines Development Group (GDG) of international experts said that “there was no evidence based on currently available data that it improves important outcomes for the patient”.
The United States, the European Union, and other countries have granted temporary approval for the use of remdesivir after initial research showed that it can shorten recovery time in some coronavirus patients.
President Donald Trump was treated with remdesivir among other drugs after he tested positive for COVID-19 in October.
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The WHO recommendation on Friday was based on four international randomized trials among more than 7,000 patients hospitalized with the virus.
By publishing an updated treatment guide in the medical journal BMJ, the panel recognized that their recommendation does not mean that remdesivir is of no benefit to patients.
But based on the latest figures, costs and methods of administration, he advised against “administering remdesivir in addition to usual care for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, regardless of the severity of the disease.”
Manufacturer Gilead said last month that the drug had increased third-quarter 2020 sales by nearly $ 900 million.
Initially developed as a treatment for the Ebola virus, a study published in May found that remdesivir reduces the length of hospital stays for COVID-19 patients from 15 to 11 days on average.
However, a preliminary WHO publication found that the drug “appeared to have little or no effect” on mortality or length of hospitalization among more than 11,000 hospitalized patients in 30 countries.
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