Ebola Treatment 'Remdesivir' Shows Effectiveness in COVID-19 Clinical Trials

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Remdesivir, developed by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences as an Ebola virus treatment, has been reported to show effectiveness in clinical trials for treating the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, since the number of clinical trial subjects is still small and side effects have not been definitively identified, there are opposing views that large-scale clinical trials are necessary to confirm the definite therapeutic effects.

On the 16th (local time), the American medical media Stat reported that Remdesivir, Gilead Sciences' Ebola virus treatment, showed significant therapeutic effects in a clinical trial involving 125 COVID-19 patients. According to the research team led by Professor Kathleen Mullane of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Chicago, who conducted the clinical trial, only two of the COVID-19 patients participating in the trial died, while the other patients recovered from high fever and respiratory symptoms and were discharged. Among the patients participating in this clinical trial, 113 were severe cases.

However, since the number of clinical trial subjects was still about 100, there are opposing views that the COVID-19 treatment effects and potential side effects of Remdesivir have not been fully clarified yet. Gilead Sciences stated that clinical trials of Remdesivir are ongoing at about 152 sites worldwide with approximately 2,400 patients, and they expect more cases demonstrating clinical effectiveness to be discovered in the future.

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