Top government infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that promising clinical trial results for the drug remdesivir were “quite good news.”
“The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” Fauci, an adviser on the coronavirus task force, said at the White House Wednesday.
Gilead Sciences, which manufactures HIV PrEP drugs, released results Wednesday from the third phase of trials to test if remdesivir can treat patients with the coronavirus. Patients who took the medication had a shorter recovery time, about 11 days, while people on the placebo recovered in about 15 days.
“Although a 31% improvement doesn’t seem like a knockout 100%, it is a very important proof of concept. Because what it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Fauci said.
Further trials will show the results of combining remdesivir with an anti-inflammatory drug that researchers believe could also treat some coronavirus symptoms.
“We think it’s really opening the door to the fact that we now have the capability of treating [the virus],” Fauci said.
The trial results, he said, are not conclusive but that they show great promise.
There are no approved treatments for the coronavirus yet. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has championed remdesivir for its promise as part of a “robust toolbox” in stopping the coronavirus pandemic. He said Wednesday that the FDA should grant remdesivir emergency use authorization because there is sufficient evidence that the drug would help patients recover faster.
Fauci, speaking at a meeting with President Trump and Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, said that the data must be examined further.
“But, certainly, it’s a very positive event,” said Trump.
