BREAKING: Gilead’s Remdesivir failed in clinical trial, did not improve coronavirus patients’ condition, WHO document shows

Last week, we reported about the promising results from Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir. At the time, early trial results from testing of Gilead’s Remdesivir showed that the ebola drug to be effective in treating coronavirus patients in Chicago hospital.

Now a new report that came out today shows that Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir flopped in a Chinese trial aimed at treating coronavirus patients. Remdesivir did not improve patients’ condition or reduce the coronavirus pathogen in their bloodstream, according to the Financial Times, citing documents accidentally published by the World Organization.

“The paper said that researchers studied 237 patients, giving the drug to 158 and comparing their progress with the remaining 79. The story indicated that the drug showed significant side effects in some, with 18 patients taken off it,” the report says.

Remdesivir is an ebola drug developed by Gilead Sciences that was found to be ineffective is now being tested in two phase III randomised clinical trials in Asian countries. The trials are being performed on 761 patients in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study at multiple hospitals in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The results from the trials are expected to be available over the next few weeks.

Remdesivir has an antiviral activity that inhibits viral replication through premature termination of RNA transcription and has in-vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and in-vitro and in-vivo activity against related betacoronaviruses. In early April, seven clinical trials were initiated to determine whether remdesivir is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19.