Remdesivir Trials Suggest Potential Benefit in COVID-19
The National Institutes of Health reported preliminary findings from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous remdesivir in nearly 1100 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with lung involvement, including those requiring supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. An interim analysis found that the median time to recovery — that is, no longer requiring oxygen or hospitalization — was 31% faster with remdesivir than placebo (11 vs. 15 days). The mortality rate was 8.0% with remdesivir and 11.6% with placebo (p=0.059). The New York Times reports that the FDA plans to authorize emergency use of the drug