Third Time's the Charm when it comes to Remdesivir

Jun 8, 2020 by Esteban Kosak

The approval for the emergency usage of Remdesivir by the FDA and the CDC may represent a primordial step in the fight against the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.

Remdesivir is an antiviral that works by inhibiting the viral RNA polymerase and by evading the proofreading of the RNA as it serves as an analog for adenosine nucleotide. This mechanism acts as a delayer in the process of viral RNA making, preventing the RNA viral strand from being finished.



This antiviral drug was initially designed for Hepatitis C infection; however, it failed and did not show any therapeutic effects. During the Ebola outbreak, the studies on the drug were renewed as the drug had demonstrated activity against the filovirus family, which includes the Ebola virus. But yet again, the treatment proved to be mostly ineffective.

In 2017, a study showed that it could be effective against human coronavirus. During the ongoing pandemic, it has proven to reduce the recovery time by 31% and to slightly decrease the mortality rate in a US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases trial.

After the results of the NIAID trial were released, the FDA approved its use as an emergency drug, although information about the safety or effectiveness of the drug is still limited.

New treatments and strategies are needed for a successful outcome in the fight against this new biological threat, and Remdesivir may represent the cornerstone in treatment therapy.

At the same time, multiple vaccines are being developed and tested. As the FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, MD says: "There's tremendous interest among all parties to identify and arm ourselves with medicines to combat COVID-19, and through our Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, the FDA is working around-the-clock and using every tool at our disposal to speed these efforts."
 

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