Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Company Says Drug Proved Effective Against Virus in US Study
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
April 29, 2020

Share

A biotech company says its experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major U.S. government study that put it to a strict test.

Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir would be the first treatment to pass such a test against the virus, which has killed more than 218,000 people since it emerged late last year. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away.

Photo of rubber stoppers placed onto vials
In this March 2020 photo provided by Gilead Sciences, rubber stoppers are placed onto filled vials of the investigational drug remdesivir at a Gilead manufacturing site in the United States. Given through an IV, the medication is designed to interfere with an enzyme that reproduces viral genetic material. (Gilead Sciences via AP)

The study, run by the National Institutes of Health, tested remdesivir versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. The main result is how long it takes patients to recover.

Gilead gave no details on results Wednesday, but said an announcement is expected soon. NIH officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Remdesivir is given through an IV and is designed to interfere with an enzyme that reproduces viral genetic material. In animal tests against SARS and MERS, diseases caused by similar coronaviruses, the drug helped prevent infection and reduced the severity of symptoms when given early enough in the course of illness. But it is not yet approved anywhere in the world for any use.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

23 hours ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

2 days ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

For your next trip, have you considered townsizing? What about choosing a detour destination? And instead of forest-bathing, maybe it’...

22 hours ago

22 hours ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

22 hours ago

Trump Trade War Has Already Had Huge Effect on California Ports

23 hours ago

Cambodian American Chefs Are Finding Success and Raising Their Culture’s Profile. On Their Terms

23 hours ago

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

2 days ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

2 days ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

2 days ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

2 days ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend