Early Results of Remdesivir for COVID-19 Published

By Kelly Young

Edited by Susan Sadoughi, MD, and André Sofair, MD, MPH

About two thirds of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients given the antiviral remdesivir on a compassionate-use basis showed signs of clinical improvement, according to a small, industry-conducted study in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, the study had no control arm.

Researchers studied 61 patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who required oxygen support or had an oxygen saturation level of 94% or less. At baseline, 57% of patients were receiving mechanical ventilation, and 8% were receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Patients were given up to 10 days of remdesivir. Eight patients were excluded from the final analysis, largely because of missing data.

During a median of 18 days of follow-up, 68% of the 53 remaining patients had an improvement in oxygen support requirements. After finishing treatment, 13% overall had died. Some 60% reported adverse events, including elevated hepatic enzymes, diarrhea, rash, renal impairment, and hypotension.

The authors write: "Although data from several ongoing randomized, controlled trials will soon provide more informative evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of remdesivir for Covid-19, the outcomes observed in this compassionate-use program are the best currently available data."