A clinical trial has shown “clear-cut” evidence that the antiviral drug remdesivir can help patients recover quicker from Covid-19, the US’s top infectious disease expert has said.
The randomised controlled trial of more than 1,000 patients was shown to cut the number of days infected patients took to leave hospital by nearly a third. Those taking the drug recovered after an average of 11 days, compared with 15 for those given a placebo.
Dr Anthony Fauci, one of the leading officials in the US’s coronavirus taskforce, said the trial was “a very important proof of concept”, and that “it has proven… that a drug can block this virus”.
Previously, smaller trials of remdesivir had suggested the drug, initally developed to treat Ebola, did not have a significant impact on coronavirus.
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