According to US researchers involved in the studies of remdesivir, Gilead's drug contender for coronavirus, the company's two clinical studies on the antiviral will taper off by the end of May. A kickback in the trials now adds worry to many patients as it closes off a course of access to the medication.
The drug was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on May 1. However, many health care providers are concerned about access to the drug for regular COVID-19 patients.
Remdesivir will be made available for pregnant women and children under the age of 18 on a compassionate use basis. But for most coronavirus patients, an emergency would be a prerequisite for their use of the said drug.
Dr. Helen Boucher, the chief of infectious diseases at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told Reuters that they wanted to see an equitable and transparent distribution of the drug that shone more brightly than the other candidate drugs for COVID-19.
Boucher added that their hospital in Boston is one of the Gilead clinical trials' participants, and they were told that trials would wind down no later than the end of this month. She said that Gilead told Tufts that the company is developing the distribution of the product under the emergency use authorization.
Similarly, researchers at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center also said they heard that two Gilead studies would cease enrolling patients for clinical trials by the end of the month.
Gilead has previously vowed to donate 1.5 million vials of remdesivir to fight the coronavirus. However, the company did not reply to solicits for comment on the matter.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Gilead had dedicated to providing around 607,000 vials of remdesivir to hospitals across the United States. The supply was estimated to treat at least 78,000 COVID-19 patients.
After health care experts questioned and asked for clarity regarding the allocation process, the federal agency pronounced that state health departments would distribute the drug.
Furthermore, the Infectious Diseases Society of America asked for a meeting with the Trump administration to go over the distribution of the drug.
Why is Remdesivir Sought After by Many?
Interest in Gilead's remdesivir drug has been soaring since it has been giving off promising results since the early stages of its trials.
According to Gilead, initial results from the study showed that the drug successfully improved outcomes for patients with severe COVID-19. The early drug trial showed that at least 50 percent of the patients treated using a five-day dosage of remdesivir showed improvement in their health and condition. Moreover, more than 50 percent of the patients were discharged from the hospital within two weeks.
In addition, preliminary results from a trial handled by the US National Institutes of Health revealed that remdesivir shortened hospital stays by at least 31 percent in comparison to a placebo.
The NIH is currently investigating remdesivir alone compared to a treatment combined with Olumiant, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Gilead plans to announce the findings from its second study involving coronavirus patients with moderate cases later this month.
Read Also: COVID-19: Remdesivir Could Cost up to $4,500 Despite Costing Just $9.32 to Manufacture
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