Remdesivir Treatment Stopped Due to Side Effects Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

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https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/07/24/remdesivir-side-effects.aspx?cid_source=prnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art2HL&cid=20200724Z1&mid=DM600360&rid=923725512

Remdesivir Treatment Stopped Due to Side Effects
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola Fact Checked
July 24, 2020

excerpt:

"In a paper published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, scientists reported on five of the first patients treated in France with remdesivir.8"

"• Case 1 — A 31-year-old man from Wuhan, China, started on the drug on illness Day 11. It was stopped four days later because of liver alterations and a maculopapular rash. The liver abnormalities improved after discontinuing the treatment.

• Case 2 — An 80-year-old man from China was given remdesivir for two days. It was discontinued when his kidneys failed. The gentleman received the drug again as the disease severity persisted and progressed. He died nine days later.

• Case 3 — A 39-year-old man with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea received eight doses of remdesivir, which was stopped because of liver enzyme alterations and the same kind of rash as was seen in Case 1. This resolved after the drug was discontinued. The gentleman was discharged on day 20.

• Case 4 — A 76-year-old man from France with a history of chronic kidney injury received remdesivir for nine days without side effects. He was discharged on illness day 23.

• Case 5 — A 70-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy was admitted with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Remdesivir was given for two days and discontinued because he suffered acute kidney injury, requiring a kidney transplant. His disease progressed and he died.

The team recorded four of the five patients with major side effects, including kidney failure that would have required a transplant had the patients lived. A second study included 53 patients who were also treated under the compassionate use, funded by Gilead Sciences.9

The company recorded 36, or 68%, demonstrated clinical improvement. This was measured by improvement in oxygen transport, extubation from mechanical ventilation or discharge. During the study period, although 36 showed clinical improvement, only 25 were discharged."

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Physician's Weekly

Case reports study of the first five patients COVID-19 treated with remdesivir in France.

Jul 6, 2020

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide. Data on treatment are scare and parallels are made between SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus. Remdesivir is a broad spectrum antiviral with efficient in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2 and controversial evidence of clinical improvement in severe COVID-19 patients. We aimed to describe the clinical outcome and virological monitoring of the first five COVID-19 patients admitted in ICU for severe pneumonia related to SARS-CoV-2 and treated with remdesivir in the University hospital of Bichat, Paris, France. SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR in blood plasma, lower and upper respiratory tract were monitored. Among the five treated patients, two needed mechanical ventilation and one high flow cannula oxygen. A significant decrease in SARS-CoV-2 viral load from upper respiratory tract was observed in most cases but two died with active SARS-CoV-2 replication in the lower respiratory tract. Plasma samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in only one patient. Remdesivir was interrupted for side effects among four patients, including 2 ALT elevations (3 to 5 N) and 2 renal failures requiring renal replacement. This case series of five COVID-19 patients requiring ICU for a respiratory distress and treated with remdesivir, highlights the complexity of remdesivir use in such critically ill patients.