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NIAID � Remdesivir

Remdesivir, an antiviral drug that was initially developed for Ebola by the pharmaceutical company Gilead, has shown promise against COVID-19 [1, 2, 3]. It is an adenosine nucleotide analogue, which allows it to incorporate into viral RNA chains and cause premature termination of viral reproduction. It shows antiviral activity against filoviruses, paramyxoviruses, pneumoviruses, and pathogenic coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV [4].

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has initiated a Phase 3 clinical trial of remdesivir [5]. This study is an adaptive, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutic agents in over 440 hospitalized adults diagnosed with COVID-19. Both primary and full study results should be published in April 2023.

References

  1. Wang, M., Cao, R., Zhang, L., Yang, X., Liu, J., Xu, M., … & Xiao, G. (2020). Remdesivir and chloroquine effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in vitro. Cell research, 30(3), 269-271.
  2. Ko, W. C., Rolain, J. M., Lee, N. Y., Chen, P. L., Huang, C. T., Lee, P. I., & Hsueh, P. R. (2020). Arguments in favor of remdesivir for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 105933.
  3. Martinez, M. A. (2020). Compounds with therapeutic potential against novel respiratory 2019 coronavirus. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 
  4. Sheahan, T. P., Sims, A. C., Graham, R. L., Menachery, V. D., Gralinski, L. E., Case, J. B., … & Bannister, R. (2017). Broad-spectrum antiviral GS-5734 inhibits both epidemic and zoonotic coronaviruses. Science translational medicine, 9(396).
  5. Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT) 

Websites

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)