LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - Analysts at RBC Capital sounded a positive note on reports published overnight regarding the results of a phase III clinical trial at a Chicago hospital for Gilead Science's Remdesivir drug for treating Covid-19.
However, they warned that the 'open label' nature of the study, meaning that there was no so-called 'control group' who was administered a placebo alongside, will "make it hard to interpret even once full data is available".

The night before STAT News reported that "most" of the patients enrolled in a phase III clinical trial for Gilead Science's Remdesivir, the majority of whom had been "severely" ill, including some who were on ventilator support, had been discharged within a week after exhibiting rapid recoveries in fevers and respiratory symptoms.

That report referred to just one of the sites for the trial, which had enrolled 125 patients, of whom 113 were "severe" and only two had died.

One investigator said fever curves had fallen after the drug was administered and some patients came off ventilator support shortly after being treated.

Investigators also noted that most patients were discharged within six days.

But the mix of ventilated and non-ventilated among the "severe" patients being treated was unknown.

Furthermore, while only two deaths had emerged, follow-up was unknown so more might emerge.

Having said that a prior study with another potential Covid-19 treatment, Kaletra, for patients with oxygen in blood levels below 94% had shown a mortality rate closer to 23%, the analysts said.

They also noted anecdotal reports that Chicago area hospital had obtained better outcomes over recent weeks by using prone ventilation.

"Anecdotal data reported this afternoon from one of the sites in GILD's ongoing ph.III Remdesivir program looks promising on the surface and continues to support some potential for the drug to be active in certain COVID-19 pts (unlike for HCQ, where emerging data continue to worsen)."

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