[FoxNews] Citing draft documents published accidentally by the World Health Organization, the Financial Times reports that the study was the first randomized clinical trial of the antiviral to treat coronavirus.
The Chinese trial did not improve patients’ condition or remove the pathogen’s presence in their bloodstream, according to the FT. The trial compiled data from 237 patients, it said, 158 of whom received the drug. Their progress was compared to the remaining 79 patients in the study. Significant side effects were also reportedly seen in some patients, which meant that 18 were taken off the drug.
"Nope, doesn't work. Now this generic we've patented with the same formulation. THAT works"
Health news site STAT also reported on the document, noting that the data from the study are likely imperfect. The trial, it reported, was ended prematurely, which could have affected the results.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, a Gilead Sciences spokesperson said the WHO documents "included inappropriate characterizations" of the study:
We regret that the WHO prematurely posted information regarding the study, which has since been removed. The investigators in this study did not provide permission for publication of results. Furthermore, we believe the post included inappropriate characterizations of the study. Importantly, because this study was terminated early due to low enrollment, it was underpowered to enable statistically meaningful conclusions. As such, the study results are inconclusive, though trends in the data suggest a potential benefit for remdesivir, particularly among patients treated early in disease. We understand the available data have been submitted for peer-reviewed publication, which will provide more detailed information from this study in the near future.There are multiple ongoing Phase 3 studies that are designed to provide the additional data needed to determine the potential for remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. These studies will help inform whom to treat, when to treat and how long to treat with remdesivir.
The studies are either fully enrolled for the primary analysis or on track to fully enroll in the near future. |