## Remdesivir Doesn’t Elevateโ Kidney Risk in COVID-19 โPatients, โฃNew Study Finds
A large, real-world data analysisโข offers reassurance regarding the renalโ safety of remdesivir, aโค widelyโค used antiviral for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The retrospective study, published today, demonstrates no significant linkโ between remdesivir โuse adn โan increased โriskโฃ of acute kidney injuryโข or other renal adverse events inโฃ patients *without* pre-existingโ severe kidney problems.
Theโ findings are especially relevant โขas healthcare professionals continue too navigate theโฃ long-term managementโ ofโข COVID-19 and โevaluate โขthe safety profiles of treatments. Concerns about potential โฃkidney-related side effects have shadowed some antiviral medications, prompting theโ need for robust, real-world evidence. This โstudy, analyzing data from thousands of patients, provides critical dataโ for clinicians making treatment decisions and reinforces the continued viability of remdesivir as a โsafe option for eligible patients.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing linked electronic health records and claims data โfrom Optum’s deidentified clinformaticsยฎ Data Mart Database.โ The study focused onโ hospitalized COVID-19 patients who did not have severeโ renal impairment and had received remdesivir. Each remdesivir user was matched with โupโ to four non-users, carefullyโค balanced based on hospitalization timing to minimize bias.The โขprimary outcome assessed was โthe incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) within 14 days โof hospitalization. โฃResearchers also examined a composite secondary โoutcome encompassing AKI, the need for renal replacement therapy, โขand death within the same timeframe – collectively termed renal adverse events (RAEs). Advanced statistical modeling, specifically marginal structural models, was employed to estimate โคthe differences in risk and survival time between theโ two groups.
The analysis encompassed a matched cohort of โฃ2768 remdesivir users and 3835 patients โwho did โฃnot receive the antiviral. Results revealed no statistically significantโ difference in the โrisk of โฃAKI between the groups (risk difference: -2.44%, 95% confidence interval -8.06% to 3.13%). Similarly,no significant โdifference wasโ observed in the risk of RAEs (risk difference: -0.71%, 95% CI -7.34% โto 5.79%). Restricted mean survivalโ time, a measure of time to โคevent, also showed no significant disparities for either AKI โข(0.23 โคdays,95% CI -0.22 to 0.68) orโฃ RAEs (0.13โ days, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.67).
The studyโ concludesโค that remdesivir use does not appear to increase orโ decrease the risk of renal adverse events โinโค hospitalized COVID-19 patients without โขsevere pre-existing kidney disease. This supports the continued clinical โขuse of remdesivir โas a safe antiviral โtreatment, withoutโ demonstrating any additional renal benefit. Keywords associated โwith the research include acute kidney injury,medicationโ safety,real-world evidence,remdesivir,and renal adverse event.