Contagion Rapid Readout: A Clinical Review of Remdesivir for COVID-19

Erin K. McCreary, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, infectious diseases clinical pharmacist, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, led a Rapid Readout discussion with Jason M. Pogue, PHARMD, BCPS, BCIDP, clinical professor, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, and Matthew Davis, PharmD, infectious diseases clinical pharmacist, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, about the peer-reviewed article they coauthored on the use of remdesivir for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Their article appeared in Infectious Disease and Therapy.

Remdesivir was issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in late April, and has been studied in COVID-19 patients who are experiencing severe respiratory issues.

The 3 providers analyzed clinical data in trials studying patients with COVID-19 taking the medication from January 1 to May 31.

In their findings, the medication was generally well tolerated. In their paper, they talked about challenges clinicians potentially face in deciding how to prioritize which patients can be treated with the medication.

In their video discussion, the clinicians go through the data from 3 remdesivir trials and offer insights on each. The medication did see mixed results depending on the patient category and trial, and the providers discuss the nuances of the studies.

For example, they touched upon a trial that was done in China. McCreary said there was no difference in time to clinical benefit or mortality rate that was seen in patients on low-flow oxygen and were administered remdesivir. One thing she noted from that trial was the use of steroids at that time.

In addition, the clinicians discuss what it is they want to see studied with the medication that has not been discovered already.