Treatment successes in monkeys in new Remdesivir study

The preliminary study results have not yet been independently assessed. For the experiment, the scientists deliberately infected 2 groups of 6 rhesus monkeys each with the pathogen SARS-CoV-2. One of the two groups received Remdesivir, a drug developed by pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, 12 hours after infection, the control group did not, and the drug was given to the treatment group monkeys shortly before the lung virus peaked. According to the scientists, the health status of the treated monkeys improved significantly 12 hours after they received the first dose of remdesivir. According to the study report, this trend continued over the entire one-week study period.

Drug almost makes breathing difficulties go away

According to the researchers, one of the animals in the treatment group had slight breathing difficulties despite the remdesivir therapy. In the control group, however, the health status of all 6 monkeys deteriorated rapidly. All of them had severe breathing difficulties.

The researchers found a significantly lower virus concentration in the lungs of the monkeys treated with Remdesivir than in the untreated monkeys. Lung damage was also less in the animals in the treatment group.

First successes also with people

Remdesivir is one of the most promising agents in the fight against the novel coronavirus and is already used in individual cases to treat patients. Random clinical trials with remdesivir are already underway in several countries.

As the health website Stat reported on Thursday, the drug had great effect on corona patients in a Chicago hospital participating in clinical trials. Remdesivir has also been used to treat Ebola.

apa

–