Antiviral drug shows promise against COVID-19 in clinical trials

The antiviral drug Remdesivir has shown promising results in the treatment of COVID-19 in clinical trials. Two trials of the drug were carried out: one by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the other by Gilead Sciences. More than 1,000 patients across the globe took part in NIAID’s trial. Treatment with Remdesivir was compared with supportive care with a placebo.

Patients who received the antiviral recovered in an average of 11 days, while those on the placebo took 15 days. Remdesivir has not yet been approved for clinical use, but the US Food and Drug Administration could issue an emergency use authorisation soon, according to The New York Times.

Source: Samaa