A potential treatment for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been discovered through clinical trials conducted by the University of Alberta and pharmaceutical company Gilead. The trials have found that antiviral drugs developed for other viruses, such as HIV and Tamiflu, may also be effective against the coronavirus. However, the most promising results have been achieved with the drug Remdesivir, which was originally developed to combat Ebola. Although it was found to be ineffective against Ebola, Remdesivir has shown high efficacy against SARS, Mers-CoV, and other RNA viruses in animal testing. The drug works by mimicking the building blocks that RNA viruses need to replicate, thereby disrupting their ability to reproduce.
Initial treatment experiences with Remdesivir in the US and China have shown promising results, with symptoms of the virus significantly reduced in some patients. However, more reliable data is needed to determine whether the drug can truly influence the course of the disease. Randomized clinical trials are currently being conducted in Wuhan, Peking, and the University of Nebraska in Omaha to further investigate the drug’s efficacy. A large-scale study with 1,000 infected individuals in Asia is also underway to determine whether Remdesivir can help with moderate to severe forms of the disease and how long the drug needs to be administered.
While Remdesivir may not be a cure for the coronavirus, it could significantly reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease. However, experts caution that even if the drug is effective, it may not be enough to combat a global pandemic on its own. Further research and development of other treatments and preventative measures will be necessary to fully address the current outbreak.
