Gilead Sciences Inc. is awaiting the start of trials on the use of remdesivir, an antiviral medication, in combination with other drugs, to treat patients with severe covid-19 infection. “Beyond the ongoing studies of remdesivir, we look forward to the initiation of combination studies of remdesivir to understand whether the addition of other drugs may enhance patient outcomes," Gilead’s chief medical officer Merdad Parsey said in a statement.
The statement follows a trial involving 1,100 covid-19-positive patients with lower respiratory tract infection showed that remdesivir helps lower the recovery time to 11 days, compared to 15 days for those treated with a placebo.