Colorised scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (blue) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow). Credit: NIAID.

Gilead’s remdesivir has failed to show benefit in a clinical trial conducted to treat Covid-19 patients in China, according to data that the World Health Organization (WHO) accidentally posted on its website.

In response to the leaked results, which have now been taken down by the WHO, Gilead said that the trial was stopped early and hence the findings are inconclusive.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

According to the data, intravenous infusion of the drug did not improve patients’ condition or decrease the virus’ presence in the bloodstream, noted Reuters citing the draft documents published by the WHO.

The rate of death was similar in both the groups, with 13.9% in remdesivir arm compared to 12.8% in the placebo arm.

News website STAT captured a screenshot of the publication, which showed that 237 patients have been enrolled in the trial. Of the total participants, 158 were treated with remdesivir while 79 were on a placebo.

Commenting on the publication, WHO said that the draft is still under peer review and is yet to be officially released.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In a statement, Gilead noted that the WHO posting included inappropriate characterisations of the study, which was stopped early due to low enrollment and cannot be used for ‘statistically meaningful conclusions’.

The company added: “As such, the study results are inconclusive, though trends in the data suggest a potential benefit for remdesivir, particularly among patients treated early in disease.

“We understand the available data have been submitted for peer-reviewed publication, which will provide more detailed information from this study in the near future.”

Currently, several Phase III studies are being conducted to assess remdesivir as a Covid-19 treatment.

Gilead expects to report results from its open-label study in patients with severe disease by the end of this month, and from the study for moderate disease by the end of next month.