A hospital in Chicago administering Remdesivir, an antiviral medicine, to Coronavirus patients in one of many closely monitored clinical trials has reported that nearly all patients have been discharged after recovering from fever and respiratory difficulties.
Remdesivir is a product of Gilead Sciences, an American biotechnology company. Following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Wuhan, several laboratory tests identified Remdesivir as the potential cure of SARS-COV-2, the Coronavirus responsible for causing COVID-19 disease.
Gilead Sciences has been conducting two separate trials of Remdesivir on severely ill and moderately ill COVID-19 patients. The severe COVID-19 study is evaluating 2,400 patients at 152 sites around the world. Whereas, moderate COVID-19 study is assessing 1,600 patients at 169 sites worldwide.
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The trial in Chicago’s hospital is being carried out under the University of Chicago Medicine. The UCM had recruited 125 Coronavirus patients with both severe and moderate symptoms. Of the 125 patients, 113 people were severely ill.
All patients were administered Remdesivir daily. The antiviral made 120 patients recover within just 6 days while 3 patients took 10 days. Whereas only 2 patients died during the study.
Medical experts worldwide have been monitoring Gilead’s clinical trials, anticipating positive results against COVID-19. If all clinical trials collectively produce intended results, it would likely push the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies to approve Remdesivir as the first treatment of COVID-19.
In scientific terms, it is too early to draw conclusions based on results from a single trial comprising of an extensive study. However, the initial results are encouraging amidst the pandemic.
Via: STAT News
