Remdesivir is a drug that was initially developed against ebola, but which in animal experiments has been shown to have an effect against coronaviruses such as mers and sars and against the current sars-cov-2.

Several studies are currently underway on covid-19-sick patients in the United States, China, and Europe to see if the drug works. And now soon in Sweden.

- It will be relevant in Stockholm, Gothenburg and the Malmö / Lund region, says Professor Anders Sönnerborg at the Karolinska Institute. He is the one leading the new trials with the drug.

Have already started manufacturing the medicine

US drug company Gilead, which has developed Remdesivir, has been drowning in requests from around the world to access the medicine since the World Health Organization said it was one of the leading candidates that could have an effect on covid-19.

The company tells SVT that it will increase production as much as possible before the scientific results on the effect are published and both by the liquid form of Remdesivir and the freeze-dried which can be transported at room temperature, which is important in low-income countries. In order to be used on a larger scale, scientific results are required.

"We expect the first results to come towards the end of April," says Anette Hommelgaard, chief medical officer at Gilead in the Nordic region.

Malaria drugs and HIV drugs are also being tested

WHO has also initiated studies on malaria medication chloroquine against covid-19 and two different HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir.

So far, mainly seriously ill covid-19 patients in Sweden have been treated with chloroquine, but as soon as regional ethics committees give clear signs, the possibility of more people receiving Remdesivir is also opened. So far, only a few emergency patients have received the drug as a last resort.

"It is important especially for the patients who are part of the study, I think, because they have the opportunity to get a drug that can help them at best," says Professor Anders Sönnerborg at the Karolinska Institute who leads the study.