COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir News Update: The cases of coronavirus infections are on the rise each day. Worldwide COVID-19 infected cases are 10.8 million with 519k causalities whereas 6m have been recovered so far. In India total cases of novel coronavirus stood at 600k on Thursday as per the website of the Ministry of Health while the death toll stood at 17,834 whereas approximately 360k have been recovered so far. Many companies are in the race to develop antiviral medicines. US-based Gilead Sciences Inc is first to get an approval of Remdesivir for emergency use in patients. The readers will know various aspects of Remdesivir.

COVID-19 medicine Remdesivir News Update: First remedy Remdesivir for coronavirus approved

Highlights

• US’s Gilead Sciences Inc is the first company to get an approval of Remdesivir for COVID-19 patients
• The company’s sales are expected between $2 billion and $3 billion
• Remdesivir is for a five-day treatment only for hospitalized patients
• United States, India, South Korea, and Japan approved
• 500,000 treatment courses secured by the US for American hospitals
• Drug costs about Rs 176,700 for five – day treatment in the USA
• Indian pharma major Cipla Ltd and Hetero Labs got approval to sell generic versions
• Both Indian giants have got approval from the Drug Controller of India
• Remdesivir found superior to placebo in shortening the time to recovery from coronavirus
• Prelim trials indicate mortality in 14 days to be 7.1% with Remdesivir and 11.9% with placebo

US FDA gives Emergency Use Authorization to Gilead’s remdesivir

Remdesivir manufactured by US-based Gilead Sciences Inc has been approved for Emergency Use Authorization for the treatment of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Remdesivir has been approved in Japan as a treatment for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causes COVID-19. The demand for remdesivir is expected to increase considerably as the only drug to treat coronavirus has been effective so far.

Gilead targets USD 2billion to 3billion business

Gilead stated on Monday that it is targeting remdesivir supply for more than 2 million coronavirus patients by the end of the year 2020. The company’s sales are expected between $2 billion and $3 billion between 2020 and 2021.

A 5-day course of Remdesivir showed greater clinical improvement

Merdad Parsey, MD, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences claimed that they have completed three randomized, controlled clinical trials. It demonstrates Remdesivir improved clinical outcomes by several different measures. The results revealed that while treating moderate disease, a 5-day course of Remdesivir showed greater clinical improvement as compared to standard of care. These results prove the benefits of Remdesivir similar to previous study results.

COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ placebo-controlled study revealed that Remdesivir aided rapid recovery. Similarly, when treating patients with severe disease, 5 days of Remdesivir led to similar clinical improvements as a 10-day course.

It is further reported that Remdesivir was generally well-tolerated in both the 5-day and 10-day treatment groups. The most common adverse events occurring in more than 5 percent of patients in both treatment groups were nausea, diarrhea, and headache.

Remdesivir approved by many countries

Remdesivir has been approved for emergency use in severely ill patients in many countries including the United States, India, and South Korea, and with full approval in Japan. It is believed that the drug is considered to be the most effective in treating patients at the beginning of the disease compared to dexamethasone, thereby reducing deaths in patients in need of oxygen and ventilators, yet, in its current form, Remdesivir is being used as a five-day treatment only for patients who are hospitalized.

Remdesivir signed a deal with the US Government ‘America First’

The coronavirus cases are increasing each day and many pharmaceutical companies are in the race to develop an effective vaccine. The United States Government has captured nearly the whole stock of remdesivir drug that is showing encouraging results on COVID-19 patients. Remdesivir has been manufactured by US-based Gilead Sciences Inc has contracted a deal with the United States Health and Human Services for half a million medication courses of the drug. It is a step-in line with the ‘America First’ approach of US President Donald Trump.

US government captured Gilead’s production

500,000 treatment courses of the drug have been secured by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the US for American hospitals. The readers will be surprised to learn that the US government has captured Gilead’s projected production to the tune of 100 percent of July sufficient for 94,200 treatment courses, 90 percent of production in August for 174,900 treatment courses, and 90 percent of production in September good for 232,800 treatment courses.

■ Also Read: Coronavirus Vaccines Latest Updates-Spiritual Solution for COVID-19 

COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir Updates: As per HHS release, this is in addition to an allocation for clinical trials. The release states that the treatment for COVID-19 needs remdesivir for a person is 6.25 vials. US Hospitals are liable to pay approximately $2,340 per treatment course. Gilead Sciences Inc USA has contributed approximately 1,20,000 treatment courses of remdesivir to the United States.

Gilead Sciences Inc. fixes the price of remdesivir

Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences Inc. has set a rate for remdesivir, a drug to treat the coronavirus, which has cost the drug about Rs 176,700 for five – day treatment in the United States and some other developed countries, which is decided with a view to the complexion of cheaper medicines.

The price of the drug was last week suggested by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a group that set drug prices in the US. This is slightly below the range of 190,000 to 211,000, which was decided after British researchers claimed that the inexpensive drug dexamethasone had reduced the mortality rate of serious patients infected with the coronavirus.

Indian giants Cipla Ltd and Hetero Labs to sell remdesivir

Indian pharma major Cipla Ltd and Hetero Labs have got approval to sell generic versions of Gilead Sciences Inc’s antiviral drug remdesivir in the country. Both Indian giants have got emergency marketing approval for remdesivir from the Drug Controller of India. The reports indicate that Indian drugmaker Cipla Ltd will price its antiviral drug remdesivir at less than 5,000 rupees ($66). It is expected that Hetero will fix a price a similar 100-milligram dose of the treatment at 5,000 to 6,000 rupees.

Bangladesh’s drug makers introduce Remdesivir

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bangladesh’s largest drugmaker, in May became the first company in the world to introduce a generic variant of remdesivir. As per Reuters reports the company was fixing the price of its version at between 5,000 to 6,000 takas ($59 to $71) per vial.

Any sure shot means to recover from diseases

The common man cannot afford the high cost of treatment of diseases like COVID-19. Moreover, there is no guarantee of survival as well as quality life from the effect of treatment. The common man has the only option to pray the Supreme God. The results are sure provided if the devotion is practiced as per scriptures. The Enlightened Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj describes in his sermons the right methodologies, and modesty to be followed. The seekers may go to the enlightened saint and take initiation and practice devotion.