While the entire world is battling to find a cure for the novel coronavirus, the researchers and scientists are working day in and day out to find treatments and a possible vaccine to eradicate the spread.
An US pharma company reported that the third phase of the clinical trial for the drug remdesivir which has been led by an Indian American has been showing positive results.
The California-based pharma company Gilead Sciences issued a statement saying that the initial results for the study has come around and the preliminary studies show that around 50% of the Covid-19 patients administered with the 5-days dosage of the drug have not just improved but have also been discharged from the hospital.
The phase-3 clinical trial of this drug is the final step before the drug gets approval as a treatment option for the novel coronavirus.
Aruna Subramanian, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Chief, Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, an Indian-American who led the study stated saying, “These data are encouraging as they indicate that patients who received a shorter, 5-day course of remdesivir experienced similar clinical improvement as patients who received a 10-day treatment course.”
Subramanian said that while these data that they have collected are not necessarily all the results, they do help bring in a clearer perspective about the situation and how the drug remdesivir can be optimised for improved safety.
According to the pharma company, they are also optimistic about the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) study of the same impacts of the drug in anti-viral perspective.
“We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint and that NIAID will provide detailed information at an upcoming briefing,” the statement further said.
Remdesivir has not yet been licensed or even approved as a potent treatment for the treatment of Covid-19. Till the researchers get a concrete answer to all their queries, it is very important to keep things in check.
According to the study, the researchers want to find whether it is a shorter 5-days course that will bring in effective results or the longer 10-days trials that have been going around with all the remaining trials that are being conducted.
Aside from that, the company also reported that they are going to further share details from the company’s open-label Phase three Simple trial very shortly.
Even Dr Anthony Fauci, the head of the infectious disease of National Institute of Health, briefed about the information shared by Gilead. He said that the results have brought in “quite good news”.
“So that’s something that will go with 31 per cent improvement, doesn’t seem like a knock out, 100 per cent, it is a very important proof of concept,” Dr. Fauci exclaimed.
Fauci said that the drug has also reported reduced mortality rate in comparison to the placebo group. With such optimistic results, Fauci has further reported that more information is going to be shared on this drug’s efficacy once it passes through a peer reviewed journal and the process is done appropriately.
Even President Trump appraised the situation saying it is definitely good news at the moment.
Subramanian even said that for the third phase clinical trial, it takes months before things are based in place but this is not a normal situation at all and thus things have been done at such a faster pace.
She said that the researchers are desperate for answers. They are desperate to bring some effective form of treatment on the plate.
By the end of February itself, around five trials for remdesivir was underway.
US has crossed over 1 million confirmed cases along with around 60,000 reported deaths because of Covid-19.
