We are some three months into the worst (we hope) of the pandemic and the positive results announced of Gilead’s antiviral drug Remdesivir (which appears set to become the standard of care for COVID 19 until a vaccine is available) in a trial will likely save countless lives. The good news came from a number of people, but the two that I trust most, Drs. Anthony Fauci and Scott Gottlieb also support the findings.
Fauci said in an interview that the drug provides “a clear-cut, significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery.” In an interview on NBC Nightly News, Dr. Gottlieb echoed Fauci’s remarks. This is great news for the country as well as the world. The product must be administered intravenously, and it appears it to help both the severely ill and those that first are admitted to hospital. There is also some indication it could be useful earlier in the treatment of the disease for those who test positive and are having classic COVID 19 symptoms.
The Gilead study entered 1063 patients across 22 countries including the U.S., and while it has not yet been peer reviewed, its preliminary results are optimistically positive. President Trump is calling on the FDA to approve Remdesivir quickly. Hopefully, he will leave future medical thinking to the physicians and scientists as they study and evaluate other treatment options.
With the potential of a vaccine likely in the next 12-18 months, Remdesivir will likely be utilized extensively. Gilead’s CEO Daniel O’Day said the company will make sure access is not an issue with Remdesivir. Stay tuned!
