J.H. Beigel et al. N. Engl. J. Med. http://doi.org/dwkd ; 2020)

Northwestern University

Remdesivir is the only drug other than dexamethasone shown to benefit those infected with COVID-19 in a large, randomized trial. It shortened the amount of time patients needed to spend in the hospital, but it did not have a statistically significant benefit in preventing deaths. It is the only drug that has gained emergency use authorization from the US FDA. 

Study results concerning remdesivir benefits in COVID-19

Study showing benefits of remdesivir in fighting COVID-19

Researchers aimed to determine the effect of remdesivir in patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia in a randomized phase 3 trial.  Specifically, the effect of 5 or 10 days of treatment of remdesivir on clinical status was compared to the effect of standard care on clinical status.  Patients who received a 10-day treatment of remdesivir did not differ significantly in their clinical status from patients who received standard care.  Contrastingly, patients who received a 5-day remdesivir treatment demonstrated significantly higher odds of exhibiting a better clinical status than the patients who received standard care, but the difference in odds between the two patient groups was of uncertain clinical importance.  It is important to note that patients who received remdesivir treatment were more likely to experience headache, hypokalemia, and nausea than patients who received standard care.


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