Tag: Remdesivir

Pregnant individuals are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19 compared to their non-pregnant counterparts. The question of **is remdesivir safe for pregnancy?** has evolved as more data has become available from compassionate use programs, registries, and observational studies, providing better guidance for clinicians and expectant mothers.

According to the PINETREE trial, a 3-day course of intravenous remdesivir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 87% in high-risk, non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to placebo. This impressive statistic highlights that answering 'What is the success rate of remdesivir?' is highly dependent on the specific clinical context, including disease severity and timing of administration.

Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) is estimated to affect about 10 people per million annually [1.7.1]. A critical question for clinicians has been: **can remdesivir cause thrombocytopenia**, especially when treating COVID-19, a disease also known to lower platelet counts? [1.6.3]

Despite being a widely recognized antiviral for COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved formulation of remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, does not come in a pill form and is only administered via intravenous (IV) infusion. This method of delivery is crucial for the drug's effectiveness and is a key difference from other available COVID-19 treatments.

Remdesivir (brand name Veklury) was the first FDA-approved antiviral treatment for COVID-19, and unlike other treatments, it is administered solely as an intravenous (IV) infusion. Its administration method is a crucial factor in its clinical use, with a significant difference from oral antivirals, a distinction rooted deeply in its pharmacological properties.

According to a study published in the journal *Frontiers in Pharmacology*, over one-third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir developed bradycardia, a slow heart rate. This and other case reports have raised questions about whether remdesivir can damage the heart, though larger clinical trials have presented conflicting data.

While severe COVID-19 disease is a recognized cause of pulmonary fibrosis, evidence does not suggest a causal link between the antiviral drug remdesivir and this condition. In fact, some studies indicate that remdesivir may have a protective effect against the lung scarring caused by severe viral infections. This article explores the current scientific understanding of remdesivir's effects on the lungs.

Each individual dose of the antiviral medication remdesivir is administered via an intravenous (IV) infusion that takes between 30 and 120 minutes. The total length of the treatment course depends on a patient's specific medical condition and whether they are hospitalized for COVID-19.

Remdesivir (Veklury) reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 87% in some high-risk outpatient studies. A key question for this intravenous antiviral is: what is the extended duration of remdesivir and how does it influence treatment length?

Originally developed in 2009 by Gilead Sciences, the antiviral drug remdesivir was initially intended to combat hepatitis C and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before being repurposed for its eventual, more famous applications. The history of remdesivir is a remarkable narrative of scientific repurposing, highlighting how a broad-spectrum antiviral candidate evolved from treating one family of viruses to becoming a key tool in global pandemic responses, including both Ebola and COVID-19.