Promising remdesivir drug against COVID-19 in 5 clinical trials; Initial limited results in the US are in.

Sify News ^ | 03/16/2020

[SeekAndFind]

The most promising drug to potentially treat coronavirus -- Gilead Sciences' remdesivir -- is being given a second shot at clinical trials after three seriously-affected patients in the US treated with remdesivir recovered albeit with some side effects.

According to a report in Statnews on Monday, remdesivir is now being tested in five COVID-19 clinical trials and the first trial results are expected next month.

As of now, there are no approved therapies for any coronavirus infection, and "remdesivir is the farthest along in the development process of any candidate."

"There's only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy. And that's remdesivir," Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

A randomised, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational antiviral remdesivir in hospitalised adults diagnosed with COVID-19 began at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha late last month.

According to the US National Institute of Health (NIH), this was the first clinical trial in the US to evaluate an experimental treatment for COVID-19.

A paper describing the first 12 patients with COVID-19 in the US started circulating ahead of an official peer review.

"All three patients treated with remdesivir recovered, but they also reported significant gastrointestinal symptoms. Investigators also noticed elevated liver enzyme levels in their blood samples," according to a report in The Motley Fool.

Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment.

It was previously tested in humans with Ebola virus disease and has shown promise in animal models for treating Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which are caused by other coronaviruses.

Clinical trials of remdesivir are also ongoing in China.

[Candor7]

Is the Remdesivir side effect an erection function?

Just trying to be economical. ( sarc.)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Coronavirus treatment: Australian researchers ‘within reach’ of cure

[politicket]

I’d rather have the zinc with hydroxychloroquine treatment.

Effective and safer.

[unixfox]

If it only takes a few days to get over, how do they know it works or if it just ran it’s course.

[Bob434]

[[reported significant gastrointestinal symptoms.]]

Yeah? Did it result in damage?

[[ Investigators also noticed elevated liver enzyme levels]]

How elevated? Significantly enough to be of concern?

[Yo-Yo]

If it only takes a few days to get over, how do they know it works or if it just ran it’s course.

By comparing those treated with the drug to those treated with a placebo.

[calico_thompson]

Send us your money

[Black Agnes]

Elevated liver enzymes.

From the drug, specifically?

Or from the virus? Liver issues have been noted with those infected with the virus.

[chuckee]

“....after three seriously-affected patients in the US treated with remdesivir recovered albeit with some side effects.”

Primary side effect after recovery was an overwhelming yen for Chinese food

[Paradox]

Terrible reporting indeed. Other questions to ask, any idication this leads to permanent liver or gastro problems?

[Truthoverpower]

Let me guess it only cost $1000 per dose

And you have to go to your medical establishment and have them carefully supervisor in charge for all that

Whereas colloidal silver is free and will kill all those bugs without any risks to you or cost

Remember last year how there was a giant panic over measles and all the Liberal government lined up to force you to inject yourself with the measles vaccine?

[Bob434]

those were my thoughts- the testing is early for this virus and this drug- but this drug i think has been out for awhile- if so, there should be some findings by now as to long term effects

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Let me guess it only cost $1000 per dose

And you have to go to your medical establishment and have them carefully supervisor in charge for all that

__________________________

Here are my thoughts on how to make newly discovered “cures” or vaccines low cost...

We know that a significant factor in the cost of an approved drug is the PHASES of testing one has to go through before a final government approval is given to for everyone.

This PHASED testing could cost a company hundreds of millions of dollars and YEARS before they can produce it. In the meantime, they are taking a risk that it might fail the test ( and thus throw money down the drain ) and rely on the good graces of risk taking investors.

So, when a drug finally gets approval and mass marketed, it WILL cost a lot because the company has to recoup the cost of testing for their investors.

So, what to do?

My proposal is this — if a test fails in any phase, the company has to ABSORB the loss as they do now. Tough duck.

However, since the government regulation *IS* the main cause of the cost, a law has to be passed that says:

IF A DRUG IS APPROVED FOR MASS USE AFTER SIGNIFICANT GOVERNMENT MANDATED TESTING, THE GOVERNMENT SHALL REIMBURSE THE COMPANY, THE COST OF TESTING.

This will significantly lower the cost of the drug.

[grey_whiskers]

Nope, your approach will just make the companies fake the positive results.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Other questions to ask, any idication this leads to permanent liver or gastro problems?

We cannot know until we answer the question: How long do we wait until we are satisfied that there will be no permanent liver or gastro problems?

This is after all, just an initial test to find out the side effects and we now know that :

1) It has liver and gastro side effects.

2) It *IS* effective against Covid-19.

Are we willing or desperate enough to risk these side effects? Those are the questions.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Nope, your approach will just make the companies fake the positive results

They can’t do that without those in authority (FDA, CDC, NIH ) looking over their shoulders as they are already doing now.

[heartwood]

I know we don’t want to use up meds unnecessarily, but what about giving chlorquinone to high risk sick people at home in hope of preventing critical illness and need for more resources?

Cheap, old time proven drug, good safety margin, seems to be effective...

How much could we make, how fast?

[shotgun]

Probably more money in this new drug which is why their pursuing it...

[SeekAndFind]

SOURCE: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid19-repurposed-treatments-drugs

TITLE: Repurposed drugs may help scientists fight the new coronavirus

EXCERPT:

Both remdesivir and the antimalaria drug chloroquine inhibited the new virus’s ability to infect and grow in monkey cells, virologist Manli Wang of the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues reported February 4 in Cell Research. Remdesivir also stopped the virus from growing in human cells. Chloroquine can block infections by interfering with the ability of some viruses — including coronaviruses — to enter cells. Wang and colleagues found that the drug could also limit growth of the new coronavirus if given after entry. Chloroquine also may help the immune system fight the virus without the kind of over­reaction that can lead to organ failure, the researchers propose.