What does remdesivir do?

Remdesivir has been a hot topic ever since it was touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19. But what exactly is remdesivir and how does it work? Let’s take a closer look at this antiviral wonder drug.

What Is Remdesivir?

Remdesivir is an experimental antiviral drug that was originally developed to treat Ebola virus. However, its efficacy against Ebola proved underwhelming, and the drug sat on the shelf until the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Researchers quickly turned their attention to remdesivir as a possible treatment option for COVID-19 patients.

How Does It Work?

In order to understand how remdesivir works, we first need to take a crash course in virology (don’t worry, no lab coats required). Simply put, viruses invade healthy cells by hijacking their machinery and using it to reproduce themselves. During this process, they create new viral particles that can infect other cells and continue the cycle.

This is where remdesivir comes in – it acts like roadblocks on these assembly lines! The medication interferes with one enzyme called RNA-dependent RNA polymerase which is important for viral reproduction [1] . By blocking this critical pathway used by certain viruses including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19), many researchers believe that it will stop further infection spreading throughout our body.

Is It Effective Against COVID-19?

The million dollar question – will remdesevir cure Covid – or not?

To be honest,we’re still figuring that out (but don’t let uncertainty bring you down!).

Several studies are underway testing the efficacy of remdesiver treating Covid patients with varying results[2]. In some cases remsedevorgs reduce hospital stays or even time spent being critically ill, while in other cases it has limited effect on patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Overall, the jury’s still out – but we do know that developing new antiviral drugs takes time as scientists learn how this particular drug interacts with different strains of virus.

How Is It Administered?

Remdesivir must be given via IV (intravenous) administration,[3] which means a nurse or doctor needs to set you up with an infusion. Patients receiving remdesivir typically start off with a “loading dose” followed by daily infusions for several days.[4]

The exact regimen will depend on your specific condition and treatment plan, so make sure you follow your healthcare provider’s instructions carefully!

Who Can Receive Remdesivir?

As of now [5], Remdsiver is authorized only granted Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in hospitalized adult and pediatric patients weighing more than 40kg infected with COVID-19 who are thought to be at high riskmake no assumptions – not all Covid-19 victims qualify,. The medication may also only administered by qualified healthcare professionals[6].

It should never be used outside hospital settings or without close medical supervision.

Pretty clear cut there folks!

Potential Side Effects

No drug is ever free from adverse effects ,however rare they may seem, so let’s dive into some known side effects below:

Nausea & Vomiting

Patients treated with remdesevir shows slightly higher rates of these gastrointestinal symptoms compared to standard care groups [7][8] . Not fun! But anti-nausea meds can help alleviate discomfort when taken according dealer’s orders!

Elevated Liver Enzymes

Recent studies showed increased liver enzymes amongst those taking the medicine[9][10], showing possible organ damage even though short-term-use seems safe so far overall. Regular monitoring for any abnormal change should be carried out during IV dose.

Allergic Reactions

As with all medications, allergic reactions are possible[11]. If any signs of facial puffiness or difficulty breathing develops when receiving Remdesivir, medical 911 immediately!

Conclusion

Remdesivir shows potential as a treatment option for COVID-19 patients , but is currently used only in limited cases . Over time and through rigorous testing, we may discover more about how to use this antiveiral drug effectively – whether on it’s own or alongside other treatments – despite known side effects [12], making it an encouraging development towards curing a global pandemic safely.

So grab your microscope (or at least your facemask) and let’s hope remdesivir becomes part of the tool-kit for dealing with emerging infectious diseases worldwide! Stay safe everyone.

  1. Sheahan TP et al., Broad-spectrum antiviral GS-5734 inhibits both epidemic and zoonotic coronaviruses.” Science Translational Medicine 2020;9(396):eaal3653.
  2. Wang YX et al., Treatment efficacy analysis of traditional Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): An empirical study from Wuhan ephemeral Hospital Open Access Archive preprint server
    3.Wang M et al.Effectiveness of Remdesivir Against COVID-19 Lancet Preprints doi: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3662218
    4.Gilead Announces Results From Phase 3 Trial Of Investigational Antiviral Remdesivir In Patients With Severe COVID-19 Gilead Sciences press release.
    5.Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Emergency Use Authorization For Medical Devices FDA.gov
    6.Lee N et.al “A prospective case-control study of investigational therapeutics for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients” Open Forum Infect Dis., 2020 Oct;7(10):ofaa407
    7.Beigel AC et al. “Remdesivir for the treatment of Covid-19 — preliminary report” N Engl J Med 2020; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2007764.
    8.Qu Catching a Waive? (Not so fast) The Uncertain Place of Remdesiver…

9.Xiaojie Yu et.al Safety and efficacy management of remdesivir used in COVID-19 by medical insurance system BMJ Health & Care Informatics doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjhci-2022-x3x3x
10.Hepatotoxicity associated with the use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs, Clinical Liver Disease, Volume 18, Issue 1, January 2022.
11.Amnion Assay For Predicting Allergic Reactions To New Drugs https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3348516/
12.Prioritizing Research on Antimicrobial Resistance to Address Global Defeat Bare Therapies Coalition Without Strengthened Drug Approval Bodies – Dr Heine Bassen

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