George and Josie Taylor fell in love in their 20s. 52 years later and happily married, the couple believed that they could conquer anything together. But COVID-19 threw a wrench in their plans. In March, says Healthy Woman, the couple contracted COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that is now considered a pandemic. Josie, 74, and George, 76, were hospitalized. They struggled to draw enough air into their lungs. They needed to survive and to be together. So when Dr. Diego Lopez de Castilla approached them about trying an experimental drug called remdesivir, Josie jumped at the chance.
Although the Taylors eventually went home and recovered from COVID-19, a big question remained: did they receive remdesivir or a placebo? How effective is remdesivir in actually combating COVID-19?
Testing Remdesivir
COVID-19 and Clinical Trials
At the time of this article, there are approximately 2.8 million diagnoses of COVID-19 worldwide, with 194,000 deaths. About 32.2% of the cases are in America, with 26.3% of the fatalities.
Currently, there are at least 6 worldwide studies testing the safety and efficacy of remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. As COVID-19 continues to spread, the medical community is attempting to stem the flow. This requires multiple studies, drug tests, and experimental procedures to better understand what works and what doesn’t.
In addition to remdesivir trials, there are over 24 Phase 3 clinical trials designed to uncover potential treatment options for patients with COVID-19. These include:
- A vaccine for tuberculosis, being tested on medical personnel.
- A cancer drug, which could potentially stop fluid from collecting in the lungs.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
- Anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
Remdesivir
Gilead Sciences developed remdesivir. The company describes remdesivir as:
an investigational nucleotide analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity…remdesivir has demonstrated in vitro and in vivo activity in animal models against the viral pathogens MERS and SARS, which are also coronaviruses and are structurally similar to COVID-19.
Basically, in animal models of viruses, remdesivir has been shown to potentially halt or destroy viral activities. The drug was granted Orphan Drug designation from the FDA. Orphan Drug designation means that a drug fills an unmet medical need, usually for patients with rare diseases or patients whose conditions lack effective treatments. The manufacturer of a drug that gets this designation gets seven years of market exclusivity, as well as varied tax breaks.
Experimental Medications
Josie Taylor got sick first. It started with shortness of breath, but later progressed to a serious fever. George, a Vietnam War veteran who also has prostate cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease, became sick a few days after his wife.
They became part of the first 20 patients in the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial, which hopes to enroll and test at least 440 patients. In some cases, family members must decide whether to enroll for a patient.
Remdesivir side effects include gastrointestinal issues and elevated liver enzymes, which can indicate liver inflammation and damage.
About 50% of the patients approached to participate have declined. In all honesty, George and Josie Taylor still do not know if they received a dose of remdesivir. But Josie says:
“You pray that you got the drug. The fact that we both recovered so quickly? You hope that’s the reason why.”
