Remdesivir once again proves to be a competent drug in fighting COVID-19 as a study published on Tuesday reveals that it prevented lung disease in coronavirus-infected monkeys. The full findings of the study can be found in the journal Nature.
Initially reported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in April as a preprint, the new study printed on the medical journal provides validation of the findings on the antiviral drug.
In the study, half of twelve coronavirus-inflicted monkeys were given early treatment with remdesivir. The findings revealed that the monkeys that were administered with the medication did not exhibit signs of respiratory disease. In addition, they also had minimal damage to their lungs in comparison with the control group.
Furthermore, the authors of the study say that the viral load in the monkey' lungs were significantly lower. In conclusion, the researchers proposed that remdesivir should be used early on in the disease process of COVID-19 patients to prevent further progression of the illness to pneumonia.
The Wonder Antiviral Drug, Remdesivir
Remdesivir is the first drug that proved to be effective against the coronavirus in human trials. Other clinical studies involving the drug are intently being monitored by many as nations look for treatments for the disease that has caused over 400,000 deaths worldwide.
The antiviral medication was approved last month in Japan under the brand name Veklury. Furthermore, it has been approved for emergency use in critical coronavirus patients in the United States, India and South Korea. Some European countries are also utilizing the drug for compassionate use in certain programs.
The drug is classified as a nucleoside analogue, which acts by preventing vital enzymes involved in viral RNA synthesis. It is used to treat hematological cancers and solid tumors.
With SARS-CoV-2, remdesivir works by closing off the virus' RNA polymerase, which is needed by the virus to replicate and reproduce in the body. Furthermore, the drug works when the enzyme replicating the gene accidentally gets hold of the nucleoside analogue rather than the natural molecule. Once it incorporates the drug into its RNA strand, a blockade is then established.
Remdesivir's Success
In one of the drug's trials last April, remdesivir has shown reduced hospitalization stays by 31 percent compared to a placebo. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, data from trials of the drug shows that it has clear-cut, significant, and positive effects in shortening the time to recovery. Fauci cited a broad study of the drug, which involved more than 1,000 patients from different parts of the world.
Additionally, a study published in April in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the drug improved breathing difficulties in some patients. However, the scope of the said study was small, involving just 53 patients. Furthermore, the authors failed to compare their outcomes with a control group.
Finally, just last week, Gilead reported data from its own trial of remdesivir, revealing that the drug provided a modest benefit for patients with moderate COVID-19. The drug was administered over a five-day course of the treatment.