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Remdesivir

Remdesivir was a strange choice to see among early treatment attempts because renal failure was a known side effect, and COVID-19 has a high mortality risk multiplier for people with renal failure.¹⁾ However, Chinese researchers claimed early to have tested it in vitro on SARS-CoV-2 with promising results.

See remdesivir for prior research and side effects profile.

Rationale

According to the National Institute of Health, remdesivir has “shown to be safe for patients” and “works by interrupting production of the virus. Coronaviruses have genomes made up ribonucleic acid (RNA). Remdesivir interferes with one of the key enzymes the virus needs to replicate RNA. This prevents the virus from multiplying.”²⁾ The NIH gives no citations for these statements.

Public Health Recommendations

On November 20, 2020, the World Health Organization recommended against the use of remdesivir.³⁾

Research During the Pandemic

Most Notable Trials

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31022-9/fulltext?fbclid=IwAR1LTlCHCyPOEIed1jfcYeUq5CnRFtDTUkx9xAH9yMmObg0G-tGpsfB3dbw

Virological Cure

No prospective clinical trials have been conducted through 2021 examining viral loads of patients given remdesivir. One retrospective study was published showing no difference in nasopharyngeal viral loads of hospitalized patients treated using remdesivir as compared with those who were not.⁴⁾

Meta-Analysis

The summary of published research suggests that remdesivir does improve patient outcomes. The early treatment studies show dramatic reduction in hospitalization and death, though the late treatment studies show modest reduction in mortality of around 13% to 19% despite increasing the need for hospitalization by 36% and mechanical ventilation by 38%. ⁵⁾

The seven total randomized control trials testing for mortality effects of over 8,000 patients found an 8% overall reduction in mortality among patients treated with remdesivir.⁶⁾

Timeline of Remdesivir Research and Usage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jan 19, 2020: The first known U.S. COVID-19 patient was treated with remdesivir.⁷⁾
April 15, 2020: A study on 12 total rhesus macaques is released claiming a “clear clinical benefit” in reduction of COVID-19 symptoms.⁸⁾
June 13, 2020: The Health Ministry of India allows for the use of remdesivir under an emergency use authorization.⁹⁾
June 25, 2020: Remdesivir becomes the first drug approved (under the name Veklury) by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of COVID-19 through a conditional marketing authorization.¹⁰⁾
July 10, 2020: FranceSoir notes the evolution of the lens through which remdesivir studies were evaluated, which appears like cherry-picking for significance.¹¹⁾
August 2, 2020: Professor Didier Raoult, the first Western researcher to test the use of hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients, reveals that a Gilead-funded French doctor threatened his life.¹²⁾
August 19, 2020: China reaffirms its protocol of using chloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients, rejecting the use of remdesivir.¹³⁾
October 12, 2020: Uganda approves remdesivir to treat COVID-19.¹⁴⁾
October 23, 2020: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients making remdesivir the very first approved FDA drug during the pandemic.¹⁵⁾
Apr 7, 2021: Hospitals in Mumbai suffer remdesivir shortage as COVID-19 cases spike.¹⁶⁾
Apr 28, 2021: Retired Colonel Sanjay Pande (India) complains that the U.S. is dumping expensive remdesivir on India.¹⁷⁾