COVID-19 drug remdesivir fails first trial

A potential antiviral drug for the coronavirus has reportedly failed in its first randomised clinical trial.

There had been widespread hope that remdesivir could treat Covid-19, BBC reported.

But a Chinese trial showed that the drug had not been successful, according to draft documents accidentally published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The drug did not improve patients' condition or reduce the pathogen's presence in the bloodstream, it said.

The US firm behind the drug, Gilead Sciences, said the document had mischaracterised the study.

What do we know about the study?

News of the failed trial spread after the WHO posted details on its clinical trials database, before it was removed. The WHO has since confirmed the draft report was mistakenly uploaded.

It showed that researchers studied 237 patients, administering the drug to 158 and comparing their progress with the remaining 79, who received a placebo.

After a month, 13.9% of the patients taking the drug had died compared to 12.8% of those receiving the placebo. The trial was stopped early because of side-effects.