The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that Gilead Sciences' remdesivir is showing early signs that it can be a drug used for treating coronavirus patients, raising hopes about a potential cure that should help improve the conditions of sufferers.
WHO Nods to Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir
Following clinical trials in China to find out whether Gilead Sciences' remdesivir can help treat coronavirus patients, the WHO offered some positive comments about the drug.
According to CNN, assistant director-general of the WHO Bruce Aylward said redeliver is the "only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy" in treating the novel coronavirus that has killed thousands of people in China and around the world.
In an email to the outlet, Gilead Sciences revealed that it continues to collaborate with Chinese health authorities on two trials and the results are expected sometime in April.
A spokesman for Gilead said one of the trials focuses on patients with moderate symptoms while the second trial is focused on more severe cases.
Earlier this month, the pharmaceutical group said remdesivir has displayed some success in treating two other virus strains, SARS and MERS. The news has raised hopes about the drug being the bridge to fill in the treatment gap.
Gilead Shares Jump
Following the WHO's comments about Gilead's remdesivir, the company's stocks jumped as much as 6.9 percent on the New York Stock Exchange, Al Jazeera reported. The said hike in shares was the highest since October 2018.
Due to the jump in shares, the company is estimated to have earned $12 billion in market value. Should results in the clinical trials in China turns out well, some market analysts believe there will be another spike in shares again.
On the other hand, some experts pointed out that until the clinical trials are over and no good results have been released, it cannot be concluded that remdisivir is a sure treatment that will end the suffering of CoVID-19 patients.
Debate Goes on Regarding HIV and Ebola Drugs' Effectivity Against CoVID-19
Remdisivir was tested in Ebola patients back in 2018 but the results showed that it was not as effective against the said virus. On the other hand, there also other trials going using other drugs.
According to The Guardian, Kaletra, a drug that is given to patients with HIV, is also being tested in patients with coronavirus. Kaletra is a combination of the antiretrovirals ritonavir and lopinavir.
For the said trials, scientists are still waiting for results that are expected within the next few weeks. The first trials involved 200 people.
Amazon Acts Against Fake Products
Amid ongoing research, studies, and trials to find a way to treat the Wuhan coronavirus, Amazon has started acting against fake products claiming to cure those who are suffering from the disease.
Late last week, the e-commerce giant announced to its third-party sellers that it will remove listings of medicinal or herbal products claiming to treat CoVID-19 patients, CNBC reported.
The crackdown came after it was revealed that a seller was told their listing would be removed for "unapproved medical marketing claims" that came with their surgical face masks' product description.
Furthermore, Amazon reassured sellers that should flag listings remove descriptions with "prohibited medical claims," the online retail the platform may consider reinstating the items listed.
Amazon is just one of the multiple tech giants that met with WHO representatives in a bid to discuss ways that would stop the spread of fake news and unproven claims surrounding the Wuhan coronavirus.
Studies on possible treatments for coronavirus patients are still underway. As research continues, governments around the world are hard at work in containing the virus as more cases rise outside China.
