Hopes are raised for the use of Remdesivir against COVID-19, according to the scientific journal Nature

A experimental drug, and one of the world’s best hopes for dealing with COVID-19, could shorten recovery time after coronavirus infection, based on the compound’s largest and most rigorous clinical trial to date. On May 1 of last year, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted a emergency use authorization for clinicians to use Remdesivir for people with severe COVID-19.

The antiviral – according to recent research published in the scientific journal Nature- it interferes with the replication of certain viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the current pandemic. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID for its acronym in English) from the United States had already pointed out that a clinical trial on more than 1,000 people had shown that those taking Remdesivir recovered in an average of 11 days, against 15 days for a placebo. “While a 31% improvement doesn’t seem like a 100% knockout, it is a very important proof of concept. -He said Fauci-, what he showed is that a drug can block this virus ”.

“Too there were fewer deaths among trial participants who received the drug ”, noted at the conference, but this trend was not statistically significant. However, the shortened recovery time was significant and was beneficial enough that the investigators decided to stop the trial prematurely to ensure that participants who were given a placebo could access the drug. Remdesivir would become standard long-term treatment for COVID-19Although FDA clearance does not constitute final approval of a drug and may be revoked when the requirements for emergency use are no longer in effect.

The drug manufacturer, Gilead Sciences of Foster City, Calif., reported that in their own essay, More than half of the 400 participants with severe COVID-19 recovered from their illness within two weeks of treatment. But the study did not have a placebo-controlled arm, which makes the results difficult to interpret. Also a little test in China reported that they found no benefit from Remdesivir over placebo. But This trial was halted prematurely due to difficulty recruiting participants as the epidemic dwindled in China. However, viewers hope NIAID’s big trial will provide the first ray of promise in a race to find a safe drug, do not vaccinate. “We focus a lot on Remdesivir because it is potentially the best opportunity we have,” says virologist Stephen griffin of University of Leeds, UK.

The conflicting and rapid information about Remdesivir has left people dumbfounded. In the rush to find therapies to fight COVID-19, small clinical trials without control groups have been common.

The results of the NIAID gave a new shine to the Remdesivir. He did not disclose detailed safety data. The study in China found no significant difference between Remdesivir and placebo in the frequency of adverse events, but 12% of people who received Remdesivir dropped out of the study due to side effects such as nausea and cardiopulmonary insufficiency, compared with only 5% with the placebo. . “It might not be the wonderful drug everyone is looking for, but if it can keep some patients from getting seriously ill, it is enough.” indicated Griffin.

Remdesivir It works by swallowing an enzyme that some viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, use to replicate. In February, researchers showed the drug reduced viral infection in human cells grown in the lab. “In the long run, doctors are likely to want a bunch of antiviral drugs, with different ways to inactivate the virus, in their arsenal.” Timothy Sheahan, virologist University of North Carolina fr Chapel Hill-. There is always a possibility of resistance to antivirals. And to protect against that potential, it’s good to have not only a first-line antiviral, but also a second, third, fourth, and fifth. “

Researchers are furiously testing a wide range of therapies, but the results are not encouraging. The antimalarials, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which have anti-inflammatory effects, have attracted so much medical and public attention that some countries have depleted their drug reserves. However, Studies in humans have not shown consistent benefits, and some have highlighted the risks posed by side effects of drugs that affect the heart. Initial interest in a combination of two HIV drugs called lopinavir and ritonavir waned when a clinical trial of nearly 200 people found no benefit of the combination for people with severe COVID-19. Another promising therapeutic hypothesis is the inhibition of the action of an immune system regulator called IL-6 could reduce the severe inflammation seen in some people with severe COVID-19, it has had mixed results so far.

Even like that, Many other therapies are being tested in humans and many researchers are looking for new drugs. Hopefully what researchers continue to develop for a resource battery will impact the pandemic, but perhaps more importantly, it could position us to respond better and faster in the future.

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