Remdesivir Approved For Use On Severe Covid-19 Cases By Health Sciences Authority Singapore
Early in the fight against Covid-19, doctors tested Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, on patients who were severely ill, to some positive results.
Previously, Remdesivir was developed for use against diseases like Ebola, but was found unsuccessful. But it saw some effectiveness in treating coronaviruses like Middle East Respiratory Syndrom (MERS).
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved Remdesivir on Wednesday (10 Jun) for conditional use on severe Covid-19 cases.
This information was updated on the Ministry of Health (MOH) earlier today under the Remdesivir section for Covid-19.
Remdesivir can be used in emergency treatment for Covid-19
So far, the drug has been approved for use on severely ill patients, and in cases of emergency.
In this case, these are patients who have oxygen saturation levels of less than or equal to 94%. This also applies to patients who require additional oxygen or breathing support.
As part of its approval for use on patients, Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of Remdesivir, has to submit more info to HSA for analysis.
Clinical trials show Remdesivir has some effectiveness
Clinical trials, which the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted on 1,063 patients, showed that those on Remdesivir had a 31% faster recovery time than those who weren’t.
Another clinical trial which Singapore is participating in showed that a 5-day course of treatment might be as effective as a 10-day one, The Straits Times reports.
Remdesivir may improve recovery rates
Most Covid-19 cases actually recover on their own. However, some severe cases may take longer to recover or end up in life-threatening scenarios.
Remdesivir, so far, has shown that it may help improve recovery rates of severely ill patients.
With Singapore approving its use, perhaps we can save even more lives from succumbing to Covid-19. However, Remdesivir is not a miracle cure and shouldn’t be treated as one.
Regardless, this news should be positive for severe cases in Singapore.
Featured image adapted from SingHealth Academy.
