More data needed to determine best use of remdesivir in COVID-19 patients

The latest remdesivir data in moderate COVID-19 patients suggest that the therapy’s Emergency Use Authorization should cover only a five-day course of treatment, which would stretch supplies to treat more patients. But the question remains of how to prioritize which patients receive the antiviral in order to reduce the overall number of deaths, especially in light of limited supply.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) said Monday that in the Phase III SIMPLE study, patients with moderate COVID-19 who received remdesivir for five days were 65% more likely to have clinical improvement by day 11 compared with standard of care (p=0.017; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.48). However, the 10-day treatment course failed to achieve statistical significance (odds ratio=1.31, 95% CI: 0.99,1.95; p=0.18)...