Move over Hydroxychloroquine? Remdesvir trial beats Placebo 11-15 in Covid trial: Dr Fauci

Amid the Coronavirus outbreak that has no clear single cure or vaccine yet, the White House health advisor and top US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci on Wednesday asserted that data collected from the Coronavirus drug trial testing by Gilead Sciences’ with the antiviral drug Remdesivir showed 'quite good news' and has set a new standard of care for COVID-19 patients. More than 1,000 volunteers are a part of this international drug trial.

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'Primary end-point of the trial is time to recovery': Dr. Fauci

Dr. Fauci further said the data from the trial showed the antiviral drug Remdesivir has a “clear-cut significant positive effect in diminishing time to recovery.” The time to recovery for patients taking the drug is 11 days, compared with 15 days in the placebo group.

 "What it has proven is a drug can block this virus,” he said.

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As per trial results Remdesivir has more survival benefits

According to a statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released later on Wednesday, the Coronavirus drug trial results suggested a survival benefit, with a mortality rate of 8% for the group receiving Remdesivir versus 11.6% for the placebo group. He also said the mortality benefit of Remdesivir has not yet reached statistical significance.

Claiming that the drug will be the 'standard of care'  Dr. Fauci who is also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, “When you know a drug works, you have to let people in the placebo group know so they can take it.

Gilead Sciences announced earlier informed that the study had met its primary endpoint but did not provide further details. The previous drug that had created a ruffle, Hydroxychloroquine, was only recommended as a prophylactic in high-risk persons; it has been shown to have adverse results in numerous cases. 

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