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“The antiviral drug remdesivir is not recommended for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, regardless of the severity of their disease, as there is currently no evidence that it improves survival or avoids being placed on artificial ventilation,” according to a statement from the ‘WHO (World Health Organization).
He decided after the opinion of his group of experts, the conclusions of which are published in the medical journal BMJ.
These experts point out “the potential for significant side effects” of this drug, as well as “its relatively high cost and logistical implications”, since “it must be administered intravenously”.
Initially developed against Ebola haemorrhagic fever, remdesivir is sold by the Gilead laboratory under the trade name of Veklury.
On July 3, it became the first COVID-19 drug to receive conditional European marketing authorization. However, it arouses more enthusiasm in North America than in the Old Continent.
In France, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) found its interest (or “real advantage”) to be “low”.
In addition, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on 2 October that it will investigate reports that “acute kidney problems” could be linked to taking remdesivir.
WHO experts based their conclusions on the analysis of four international clinical trials comparing the effectiveness of different treatments and involving more than 7,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19.
A study released in mid-October and conducted in more than thirty countries with WHO support has already concluded that remdesivir did not show any benefit in terms of reducing mortality.
According to a study published in late May in the American New England Journal of Medicine, it slightly reduces the recovery time of hospitalized COVID-19 patients (from 15 to 11 days on average).
WHO experts point out that it cannot be said at this stage that remdesivir has no benefit. But the fact that its effectiveness has not been proven, coupled with its drawbacks (possible side effects and costs) leads them not to recommend it.
In late October, Gilead announced that remdesivir had already earned him nearly $ 900 million in the third quarter.
For now, corticosteroids (including dexamethasone) are the only treatment that has reduced COVID-19 mortality, although this is only true for one category of patients (severe cases requiring treatment). administration of oxygen). WHO has recommended their “systematic use in patients with severe or critical form”.
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