Remdesivir for COVID-19 Downs the Need for Mechanical Ventilation

Remdesivir decreased the need for mechanical ventilation in hospitalized patients.

In the CATCO trial that involved 52 Canadian hospitals, Canadian researchers studied the effect of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 between August 14, 2020, and April 1, 2021.

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‘The benefit of Remdesivir was most apparent for preventing the need for mechanical ventilation, suggesting added value for patients with less severe disease to avoid progression during hospital stay.’
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There were 1,282 patients included, with about half randomized to receive treatment with remdesivir and the rest to the control group receiving standard care.

Evidence has been mixed on the effect of remdesivir, a repurposed antiviral medication, in people with COVID-19.

The Canadian trial, led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, found that among patients not receiving mechanical ventilation at the start of the study, the need for mechanical ventilation arose for 8% of patients receiving remdesivir compared with 15% of those receiving standard of care.

In addition, patients treated with remdesivir could come off oxygen and ventilators sooner than those receiving standard care.

"The benefit of treatment was most apparent for preventing the need for mechanical ventilation, suggesting probably added value for patients with less severe disease to avoid progression during a hospital stay," writes Dr. Srinivas Murthy, University of British Columbia, with coauthors.

"This may have important implications for patients and health systems, particularly when ICU capacity, mechanical ventilation or oxygen are in limited supply."

The CATCO trial collected more detailed data than some other countries and engaged patients across a range of ethnicities, which is particularly important for applications in other countries and our multicultural society. The study is also the largest single-country trial of remdesivir reported to date.

These results add to the larger global trial around how remdesivir could be used in other countries.

"The findings of CATCO are also important and complementary to Solidarity as they help to address questions of generalizability of a large simple protocol carried out across a wide range of hospitals and health care systems from low-, middle- and high-income countries," the authors conclude.

Source-Medindia