A placebo-controlled, government run trial of remdesivir to treat COVID-19 infection reportedly met its “primary efficacy endpoint” according to Gilead Sciences. Having shown efficacy in this large, controlled trial could help to resolve the questions raised in prior testing of the drug.
NIH has now issued a statement about the trial outcome. In it they state “Hospitalized patients with advanced COVID-19 and lung involvement who received remdesivir recovered faster than similar patients who received placebo, according to a preliminary data analysis from a randomized, controlled trial involving 1063 patients, which began on February 21.”
The trial called AACT (the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial) had several specific findings of efficacy.
Preliminary results indicate that patients who received remdesivir had a 31% faster time to recovery than those who received placebo (p<0.001). Specifically, the median time to recovery was 11 days for patients treated with remdesivir compared with 15 days for those who received placebo. Results also suggested (but did not prove) a survival benefit, with a mortality rate of 8.0% for the group receiving remdesivir versus 11.6% for the placebo group (p=0.059). Further patient numbers could make this outcome significant as well.
Dr. Tony Fauci said Wednesday that data from the trial testing remdesivir showed “quite good news” and “sets a new standard of care for Covid-19 patients.” Think we can all agree on that!
After all of the back and forth on this drug, this trial shows the value of a “gold standard” randomized clinical in determining a drug’s value!
Pandemic Pondering 
Large trials can show statistical differences but the question remains are they clinically meaningful. I can only hope that is the case.
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Shortening of hospitalizations by a third is real. Can’t comment about mortality, but since all these patients were seriously ill when given the drug I will with hold judgement.
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