WHO, "Remdesivir and Chloroquine Ineffective Against COVID-19"

Remdesivir Used in Trump Treatment Shows '0' Therapeutic Effect
Does Not Help Reduce Hospital Stay or Mortality Rate

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that drugs known as treatments for COVID-19, including Remdesivir?which was also used as a treatment for President Donald Trump's COVID-19 infection?have shown no effectiveness at all. With COVID-19 vaccine development facing difficulties, patients and frontline hospitals are expected to experience significant confusion regarding treatment methods.

On the 15th (local time), WHO released a statement on the efficacy of repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment, stating that drugs such as Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine (hereafter Chloroquine), Lopinavir, and Interferon, which had received emergency use authorization in various countries as COVID-19 treatments, showed no significant benefits. WHO explained that a solidarity clinical trial involving 11,266 COVID-19 patients was conducted from March to early October to measure the effects of these drugs. The results showed that none of these drugs substantially reduced mortality rates or decreased the frequency of ventilator use among severe patients.

In particular, the finding that Remdesivir, used in President Trump's COVID-19 treatment, is ineffective is expected to cause major confusion in frontline hospitals worldwide. Earlier, White House medical staff announced that President Trump had been prescribed Remdesivir more than three times after contracting COVID-19. After being declared fully recovered, President Trump repeatedly praised the drug's efficacy. In addition to Remdesivir, President Trump received a "cocktail treatment" combining several drugs, including Regeneron's antibody therapy and the steroid Dexamethasone.

Remdesivir was originally developed by the U.S. biotech company Gilead Sciences as a treatment for Ebola virus but gained attention when repurposed as a COVID-19 treatment due to its promising potential. Small-scale experiments showed effectiveness in severe patients, raising expectations. Since the U.S. health authorities granted emergency use authorization in May, the U.S. government has stockpiled large quantities of Remdesivir as an emergency treatment despite its high cost of $2,340 per dose.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.