Remdesivir could be wonder drug against coronavirus

Dubai - The experimental drug has cleared Phase 3 of clinical trials.

Remdesivir, a drug originally developed to treat Ebola patients is showing great promise in the fight against Covid-19. The experimental drug has cleared Phase 3 of clinical trials.

Gilead, the company that manufactures the medication is positive and said it would wait for more data from trials to confirm its efficacy and safety. But the way these trials are going in the drug's favour, it could well be approved for use in patients within months.

During the latest Phase 3 trials at the University of Chicago, 125 patients with Covid-19 were selected; 113 of these patients had severe disease, and were given daily infusions of the experimental drug. "The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We've only had two patients perish," said Kathleen Mullane, the University of Chicago specialist who conducted the trials.

Gilead CEO and Chairman, Daniel O'Day, however, is more circumspect. "In studying remdesivir, the question is not just whether it is safe and effective against Covid-19 but in which patients it shows activity, how long should they receive treatment and at what stage of their disease would treatment be most beneficial. Many answers are needed, which is why we need multiple types of studies involving many types of patients."

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