Treat

Gilead’s COVID-19 treatment shows early signs of effectiveness — could mean a faster reopening

Monday, April 20, 2020 by Snacks
_Some at Gilead are calling this new drug "Neo"_

Some at Gilead are calling this new drug "Neo"

Pronounced how it sounds... Remdesivir. Gilead's antiviral drug was tested to treat Ebola patients — now it's the most promising potential COVID-19 treatment. A juicy report in STAT details its (apparent) effectiveness. More rigorous studies/trials/science are needed before we can celebrate a victory — but markets soared anyway as investors celebrated the chance this drug could work and help reopen the economy faster. How it went down read like a screenplay:

  • The setting: University of Chicago Medicine Hospital, where patients are participating in Gilead-sponsored remdesivir trials.
  • The plot: Out of 125 coronavirus-infected patients who participated, 113 had severe symptoms. Will remdesivir help them recover?
  • The result: Most patients recovered in less than a week and 2 died. That's a 1.6% death rate compared to the 4.9% overall US rate — even more impressive considering cases in the trial were over 90% severe. But there was no control group to compare with.

Opening up America (Again?)... Not sure what the again is about, but there might be one if the economy reopens too soon. Last week, the White House recommended a 3-phase plan for states to reopen (when safe). Approval for a COVID-19 treatment could speed up this reopening, but it's not the only consideration...

THE TAKEAWAY

There are 3 parts to this medical solution... All 3 will be necessary to (completely) end the corona-crisis:

  • Testing: We've got tests, but not enough. Widespread testing is crucial to curbing the spread and give non-infected people the green light.
  • Treatment: We don't have an approved one yet — if remdesivir gets FDA approval, this would be a game-changer.
  • Vaccine: We don't have one yet, but companies are racing for it — Johnson & Johnson has a lead candidate for trials and is (very ambitiously) aiming to get 1B doses of a vaccine out by the end of 2021.
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