Changes Related to COVID-19 Anti-viral Drug Resistance Found

Genetic analysis of the COVID-19 virus showed that it acquired a genetic change during treatment that reduce the effectiveness of the drug.

Resistance to antiviral drug remdesivir was found in samples collected from a patient treated with the drug for a persistent Covid-19 infection.

Similar resistance has been generated in lab studies, but have not been previously reported in patients treated with the injectable medicine.

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It is importance to identify resistance in COVID-19 patients to monitor the emergence of such variants and other treatment options.

A woman patient in her 70s who had been treated for cancer, caught COVID-19 in May 2020. Remdesivir helped alleviate symptoms, but was not able to completely clear the infection. It persisted for several months, affecting her sense of smell.

Genetic analysis of the virus showed that it acquired genetic changes during treatment that appeared to reduce the effectiveness of the drug that first cleared COVID-19 infection.

Later the infection was successfully treated with monoclonal antibody therapy, it also led to a recovery of her sense of smell.

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“While the finding is limited to a single case and requires confirmation of its generalizability in larger patient populations, it suggests that remdesivir can impart selective pressure”, according to researchers in a study published in medRxiv.

The scientists also found a genetic change, called E802D that reduced the strength of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

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At the same time, this case also illustrates the importance of monitoring for remdesivir resistance and the potential benefit of using a combination of therapies in vulnerable patients.

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Source-Medindia