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The antiviral remdesivir , from the North American multinational Gilead, has been shown to be superior to placebo compared to Covid-19 , according to the results of a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The preliminary analysis is based on data from the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT), promoted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Niaid), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States.

The randomized controlled trial was conducted among adults admitted with Covid-19 with compromised lower respiratory tract and moderate to severe disease. The researchers noted that the Gilead antiviral performed best in patients with severe disease who required oxygen.

The double-blind study started on February 21, lasted 58 days, and involved 1,063 patients from 10 countries. Patients were randomized to receive standard local treatment plus a 10-day cycle with intravenous remdesivir, in one group, or standard treatment plus placebo, in the other.

High or stabilization

Specifically, the study confirmed what Niaid had already published in advance of the results now observed, revealing that patients on remdesivir have improved nearly 31% faster than those in the placebo arm . The study defines recovery as discharge from hospital or stabilization of patients necessary for discharge. The median time to recovery was 11 days for those treated with remdesivir versus 15 days for those receiving placebo. These conclusions are statistically significant and based on an analysis of 1,059 participants, among whom 538 received remdesivir and 521, placebo.

The researchers also compared the clinical status between the patients in both arms 15 days after the study began and observed that the probability of improvement was higher among the patients who received remdesivir . The results also suggest survival benefits, with a 14-day mortality rate of 7.1% in the remdesivir group, compared to 11.9% in the placebo group, although this difference in mortality is not statistically significant , according to the preliminary report.

Evaluate more agents

Ultimately, the conclusions support the use of remdesivir as standard therapy in patients admitted for Covid-19 who require oxygen. Likewise, the mortality rate of 7.1% at 14 days in the remdesivir arm indicates the need to evaluate antivirals with other therapeutic agents to continue improving the clinical results of patients with coronavirus. On May 8, Niaid began a clinical trial, known as ACTT 2, that evaluated remdesivir in combination with the anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib versus treatment with remdesivir alone.

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