New data on Gilead's remdesivir, released by accident, show no benefit for coronavirus patients
Source: STAT News
By ED SILVERMAN @Pharmalot, ADAM FEUERSTEIN @adamfeuerstein, and MATTHEW HERPER @matthewherper
The antiviral medicine remdesivir from Gilead Sciences failed to speed the improvement of patients with Covid-19 or prevent them from dying, according to results from a long-awaited clinical trial conducted in China. Gilead, however, said the data suggest a potential benefit.
A summary of the study results was inadvertently posted to the website of the World Health Organization and seen by STAT on Thursday, but then removed.
A draft document was provided by the authors to WHO and inadvertently posted on the website and taken down as soon as the mistake was noticed. The manuscript is undergoing peer review and we are waiting for a final version before WHO comments, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
Gilead spokesperson Amy Flood said the company believes the post included inappropriate characterization of the study. Because the study was stopped early because it had too few patients, she said, it cannot enable statistically meaningful conclusions. However, she said, trends in the data suggest a potential benefit for remdesivir, particularly among patients treated early in disease.
The data (for details, see screenshot below) will be closely scrutinized but are also likely imperfect. The study was terminated prematurely, which could have affected the results. The context that would be provided by a full manuscript is missing, and the data have not been reviewed as normally occurs before publication.
Read more: https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/23/data-on-gileads-remdesivir-released-by-accident-show-no-benefit-for-coronavirus-patients/?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=146738d9dc-Daily_Recap&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-146738d9dc-152206190
riversedge
(70,211 posts)DrToast
(6,414 posts)The NIH is going to release the results of a large study in a month.
Brainfodder
(6,423 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,001 posts)BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)This was the study based in China that failed to reach the required number of test subjects to be validated. If the test is deemed statistically invalid - it is ridiculous to try to draw conclusions from it.
Loki Liesmith
(4,602 posts)incomplete studies are useless. Just be patient for the actual study results.
Sapient Donkey
(1,568 posts)Bummer whether it simply doesn't work or whether they were just unable to collect enough data.
Squinch
(50,949 posts)DallasNE
(7,403 posts)The med didn't work for Ebola either. But this drug does not have any serious side effects at normal dosage so there was little harm in doing this trial. Plus, there is a larger test underway and a report is expected from that in another month.