When is remdesivir effective for COVID-19?

Remdesivir was one of the first medications approved for treatment of COVID-19. Clinical studies evaluated its effectiveness, but did not generate conclusive results. A new analysis of the study data shows that a specific group of patients benefits the most from the drug. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and medical practitioners have made a massive effort to find effective treatments for the illness. Remdesivir was the first antiviral agent approved for treatment of COVID-19, first in the USA in 2020 and later in Europe. The medication was a beacon of hope early in the pandemic and remains in use today. Multiple international studies since 2020 have investigated how treatment with remdesivir affects mortality in adults hospitalized with COVID-19. The results have been contradictory. It has remained disputed how well the medication works and whether it benefits some patient groups more than others. Analysis of data from over 10,000 patients . A research team from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel led by clinical epidemiologist Professor Matthias Briel has now collected and reanalyzed individual patient data from eight randomized clinical trials. The data covers over 10,000 unvaccinated patients from over 40 countries who were treated for COVID-19 in a hospital. Using cutting-edge data analysis methods, the researchers investigated the benefit and potential side effects of the drug and its effects on sub-groups. The goal was to find out which patient groups, if any, benefited from remdesivir. The results have now appeared in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Beneficial with conventional oxygen therapy