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(Belgian) WHO recommends not giving remdesivir to hospitalized patients with Covid-19, because this antiviral drug does not prevent death or severe forms of the disease, it announced on Friday.
“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. 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 drug to receive conditional European marketing authorization. However, it arouses more enthusiasm in North America than in the Old Continent. 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. 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 combined 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. (Belgian)
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