RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Antiviral treatment for COVID-19: the evidence supporting remdesivir
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP e215
OP e217
DO 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0524
VO 20
IS 6
A1 Charlotte Richardson
A1 Sanjay Bhagani
A1 Gabriele Pollara
YR 2020
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/6/e215.abstract
AB The emergence of the novel beta coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic has generated a rapidly evolving research landscape in the search for new therapeutic agents. The intravenous antiviral drug remdesivir has in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and now studies have reported its clinical efficacy, demonstrating shorter time to recovery in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19. Adverse event rates were low and remdesivir has now received conditional marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency. An interim clinical commissioning policy is in place in the UK. These studies make remdesivir the first antiviral drug able to alter the natural history of severe COVID-19, and a benchmark for the comparison of new therapies in the future. Ongoing studies are investigating its use in early mild/moderate COVID-19, alternative formulations, and the combination of remdesivir with immunomodulatory agents.