A randomized control trial on COVID-19 therapeutics has generated conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of repurposed drugs — like remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine, among others — to treat COVID-19.
The results from the Solidarity Therapeutics Trial, coordinated by the World Health Organization, indicate that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, and interferon regimens appeared to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality or the in-hospital course of COVID-19 among hospitalized patients.
The study — which spans more than 30 countries — looked at the effects of these treatments on overall mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay in hospitalized patients of COVID-19. Other uses of the repurposed drugs were not examined and would have to be examined using different trials.
The massive Solidarity Therapeutics Trial shows that large international trials are possible, even during a pandemic. They offer the promise of quickly and reliably answering critical public health questions concerning therapeutics.
The results of the trial are under review for publication in a medical journal. The full report is accessible on the medRxiv website.
The global platform of the Solidarity Trial is currently ready to rapidly evaluate promising new treatment options, with nearly 500 hospitals open as trial sites. Newer antiviral drugs, immunomodulatory, and anti-SARS COV-2 monoclonal antibodies are now being considered for evaluation.