Remdesivir is the first drug to show improvement in COVID-19 in human trials (representational)
Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir has prevented lung disease in macaque monkeys infected with the new coronavirus, a study published in the medical journal Nature said on Tuesday.
Remdesivir is the first drug to show improvement in COVID-19 in human trials, and its progress in clinical studies is being closely watched as countries seek treatment for the disease, which has infected more than 7 million people and killed over 4,000,000.
In the study, 12 macaque monkeys were deliberately infected with the new coronavirus, and half of them received early treatment with remdesivir.
Macaques who received remdesivir showed no signs of respiratory disease and reduced damage to the lungs, the study found.
The details of the monkey trial were previously published by the National Institutes of Health in the United States in April, but the results have not been peer reviewed – a step that validates a research study.
The study authors suggested that remdesivir should be considered as a treatment as soon as possible to prevent progression to pneumonia in COVID-19 patients.
Remdesivir has been approved for emergency use in critically ill patients in the United States, India and South Korea. Some European countries also use it for compassionate programs.
Trials of the drug in humans are ongoing, and initial data has shown that the drug has helped patients recover faster from the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
