Preliminary data from a clinical trial led by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) showed that Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir exhibited faster recovery in Covid-19 patients.
The ACTT trial, involving 1063 hospitalised patients with advanced Covid-19 and lung involvement, compared the experimental antiviral drug to placebo.
An interim analysis by the independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) found that remdesivir performed better on the primary endpoint of ‘time to recovery’ when compared to placebo.
Results showed a 31% faster time to recovery in patients treated with Gilead’s drug versus placebo. The median time to recovery was 11 days versus 15 days, respectively.