A drug that helps against Covid-19 is urgently needed in the corona crisis. The Ebola active ingredient remdesivir is promising. Now there are results from the USA that give hope.
- A drug that helps covid-19 * is urgently needed in the corona pandemic *
- Many hopes rest on the antiviral active ingredient remdesivir , which was developed against Ebola
- First results from a hospital in Chicago are promising
The antiviral drug Remdesivir was originally developed against Ebola , but it is now one of the drugs with the highest hopes that it may help against the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . In a hospital in Chicago, US researchers are conducting a clinical study with the drug - apparently with promising results: As the health portal "Stat" reports, several corona patients in the hospital reacted positively to remdesivir .
Physicians at the hospital would see "rapid recovery from fever and respiratory symptoms" in corona patients treated with remdesivir, "almost all patients" would be discharged from the clinic in less than a week, the report said. Accordingly, 125 people with Covid-19 were included in the clinical trial. 113 of these patients were "seriously ill", all 125 patients received Remdesivir infusions daily .
Does Remdesivir help against Covid-19? Promising results from the USA
There are also studies at other clinics in the USA, from which no results have yet been obtained. Gilead Sciences , the manufacturer of Remdesivir , said in a statement: "What we can say at this stage is that we are waiting for data from the other studies." Previously, the data was expected for April. "Stat" assumes that the clinical trial data could be published "at any time".
"Most of our patients are seriously ill and most of them leave the hospital after six days," quotes the "Stat" portal Kathleen Mullane from the University of Chicago. Mullane had said this in a video conference with other members of her faculty, a recording of which is on the portal and was later confirmed by Mullane. However, "drawing any conclusions" from the data is "premature and scientifically unreliable", the University of Chicago said in a statement on the recording.
Active ingredient against corona: look at the remdesivir study carefully
In fact, the data on remdesivir must be viewed with caution for the time being: they have not yet been independently verified, and further studies are ongoing. Mullane further commented in the video recording that there was no placebo group to control in the remdesivir study .
The active ingredient remdesivir integrates into the RNA and inhibits the proliferation of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . Remdesivir is administered intravenously by infusion and is considered a broad-spectrum antiviral that could be effective against different viruses - in addition to Sars-CoV-2, also against the related pathogens of Sars and Mers or the Ebola virus.
Coronavirus drug: Remdesivir not yet approved in Germany
Approved is Remdesivir not in Germany so far. In Germany, the active substance is currently made available directly from the manufacturer in individual cases after prior testing *. These are so-called "individual healing attempts". Since the beginning of April, Remdesivir has been on the list of confirmed drug hardship programs by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). WHO prioritized research into remdesivir in clinical trials back in January.
The BfArM president, Karl Broich, expects the first trial results for the treatment of Covid-19 in three months. Until then, data from two large studies with remdesivir in Germany are expected, Broich said. Overall, there are some promising therapeutic approaches.
Drug against Covid-19 is eagerly awaited
The coming months should show whether remdesivir is the much-awaited drug that helps against Covid-19 until a vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 * has been developed. An effective agent that alleviates Covid-19 disease could support efforts to prevent health systems from collapsing until a vaccine is developed.
By Tanja Banner
* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital central editorial office.