Considered one of the most promising treatments against covid-19, the antiviral Remdesivir is ineffective in preventing death from this disease – informs a study supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The drug “appears to have little or no effect on those hospitalized for covid-19, as indicated by mortality rates, onset of respiratory care, or length of hospital stay,” explains this study published online on Thursday night ( 15).
Originally intended for the treatment of the Ebola virus, remdesivir was part of the experimental cocktail administered to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, after contracting the coronavirus last month. It is one of several drugs analyzed by this large study of more than 11,000 people in 30 countries.
The data, which had not yet been reviewed by other doctors before being published in a scientific journal, appears to contradict at least two large American studies that showed that Remdesivir can reduce the hospitalization time for patients with covid-19.
The United States authorized the use of the drug on May 1, manufactured by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. Subsequently, the European Union and other countries also authorized its use.
