The antiviral drug remdesivir had no substantial impact on the survival of COVID-19 patients or the length of their hospital stays, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) clinical trial.
The results, announced late Thursday, could potentially be a major blow to the efforts of finding a suitable treatment to the disease that has killed more than 217,000 Americans.
The WHO Solidarity Trial examined the effects of four coronavirus different drug regimens: remdesivir; hydroxychloroquine; a combination of the anti-HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir; and interferon.
According to WHO, none of the drugs had any noticeable impact on reducing mortality, the duration of hospitalization, or the need to ventilate patients.
The study was billed as the world’s largest randomized control trial on COVID-19 therapeutics. It spanned 405 hospitals across 30 countries, and 11,266 adults. It has yet to be peer reviewed.
The results of the trial were first reported Thursday by the Financial Times.
WHO said other uses of the drugs, for example in treatment of patients in the community or for prevention, would have to be examined using different trials.
Remdesivir received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on May 1 after it showed modest results in reducing the hospitalizations of patients with severe cases of COVID-19.
It has been authorized for use in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Remdesivir was one of a number of medications given to President Trump when he was diagnosed with the disease earlier this month.
Manufacturer Gilead currently charges private insurers $3,120 per patient for a five-day course of the treatment.
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WHO study finds no benefit from remdesivir on survival of COVID-19 patients, length of their hospital stays https://t.co/hY4xanmVHb pic.twitter.com/iKFS2LNkgv
— The Hill (@thehill) October 16, 2020
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