Remdesivir ineffective in reducing mortality: PGI

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 18

Doctors who have treated Covid-19 patients at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here have agreed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) study which says Remdesivir has proven to have “little or no effect on hospitalised Covid-19 patients” as indicated by overall mortality.

The study, which was not peer-reviewed, found that Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir and Interferon regimens appeared to have little effect on in-hospital mortality.

The findings have put a dampener on expectations from these therapies — including Remdesivir, once seen as promising.

The WHO on Thursday made available interim results from the Solidarity Therapeutics Trial — a large-scale global trial studying the effectiveness of various repurposed therapies in Covid-19 treatment.

Similarly, the PGI has also not been banking upon antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir in the fight against Covid-19 as these have not proven to be “game changers” in the treatment of critically ill patients at the institute.

On being asked, Dr Pankaj Malhotra from Department of Internal Medicine, PGI, said: “At the PGI, we have used Remdesivir and HCQ out of the four drugs mentioned by the WHO in its findings. The HCQ drug was given to asymptomatic patients in the beginning of pandemic. However, it is not used now. Both the Remdesivir and HCQ drugs were not found to be life-saving and will make no difference if hospitals do not have these drugs.”

Prof Jagat Ram, Director of PGI, said: “Remdesivir has been found to show effectiveness on selected patients, who were given the drug during the onset of illness, i.e. first seven days when the virus is at multiplying stage. The drug, however, shows no effect on the cytokine storm effect shown in the Covid patients. Therefore, this has no role in reducing mortality.”

Dr GD Puri, also from the PGI, said: “To say something conclusive about these drugs, the institute needs to carry out a randomised and controlled trial.”