COVID-19: Gilead's antiviral Remdesivir, flops in first human trial, say reports

California, Apr 24: Gilead Sciences Inc's experimental coronavirus drug failed its first randomised clinical trial, reports said, citing draft documents published accidentally by the World Health Organisation.

Researchers studied 237 patients, giving the drug to 158 and comparing their progress with the remaining 79. The drug also showed significant side effects in some, which meant 18 patients were taken off it, reports Rueters.

Originally developed to treat Ebola more than a decade ago, Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, according to a study, published in the journal Nature earlier this year.

The Chinese study showed that Remdesivir could successfully block the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, from replicating in human cells.

Another research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, chronicled the case of a COVID-19 positive man, who received Remdesivir at the recommendation of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reportedly started improving within 24 hours.