Study: Remdesivir even after a short treatment effective against the Corona disease
Remdesivir is a drug that is used for months in many countries for the treatment of by the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2-induced disease COVID-19. Also in Germany it is used, for instance, at the University hospital Dresden. A study has now shown that the drug is also after a short treatment effective against the Corona disease.
In the Wake of the Corona-pandemic in the world is working on strategies to curb the spread of the Virus. An effective vaccine is not yet available and also not a drug that is approved against COVID-19. Therefore, it is placed in front of, especially in the case of severe disease already against other diseases, medicines developed. In some clinics here comes Remdesivir to use. And with success, as a new study shows.
Use of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 investigated
According to a recent communication from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) scientists from eight countries in an international study of the use of the drug Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.
A result of scientific investigation, of the Klinikum rechts der Isar of the TUM was involved: The changes in the clinical status of patients, and in patients who were treated for five days, were comparable with those in a ten-day treatment.
Effectiveness proven
As the communication explains, the drug is Remdesivir a so-called RNA Polymerase inhibitors, and was originally tested for the treatment of patients with Ebola infection.
Some of the clinical studies were able to demonstrate in recent months, the efficacy of the drug against the novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
After Remdesivir had been proved in previous studies in the case of an application about ten days to be effective, wanted to find out, the researchers, whether a shorter duration of treatment would be successful.
The results were published in the magazine “New England Journal of Medicine” (NEJM).
Study has been on thousands of test subjects expanded
In the international, randomized study, the participating researchers examined the researchers, the safety and efficacy of the drug in 397 patients with a documented severe COVID-19-disease.
According to the experts, the investigation was carried out in the spring of 2020 in eight countries.
The information suggests that the Normal – and ICU-treated patients were divided randomly in both groups and were given the drug Remdesivir about five or ten days by the intravenous route.
The study has now been on additional 5,600 of test persons.
Treatment only as long as necessary
According to the report, the study resulted in a comparable improvement in the clinical condition after five and after ten days of therapy. Were measured the changes accordingly on a Seven-point scale.
“The duration of therapy is of high interest for the provision of medical care”, private lecturer Dr. Christoph Spinner, who was at the Klinikum rechts der Isar, responsible for the study.
“On the one hand, patients are treated only for as long as necessary, and may be earlier discharged from the hospital,” explains the expert.
“On the other hand, the drug would be available to more people, which is expected to be limited production capacity is an advantage. A shorter application may be associated with fewer side effects for the Patients.“
The researchers suggest the observed effects in both groups were similar and included Nausea, acute deterioration in lung function, increased liver enzymes, and constipation. (ad)
Authors and source of information
This Text meets the requirements of the medical literature, medical guidelines, as well as current studies and was examined by doctors and Medical scientists.