HK Experts Raise Doubts Over WHO Study On Remdesivir

Medical experts in Hong Kong on Friday raised doubts over a study carried out by the World Health Organisation, which concluded that the antiviral drug remdesivir makes no substantial difference to the health of a Covid-19 patient.

The WHO's conclusion was reported by the Financial Times. The trial, which studied the effects of remdesivir and three other drugs, is said to have found that none had much effect on survival rates, on whether patients needed ventilation, or on how long they ended up staying in hospital.

But infectious disease specialist Professor Ivan Hung of the University of Hong Kong said the findings contradict the results of previous, robust clinical trials.

Hung said a lack of detail about the WHO study makes it difficult to understand why it came to this conclusion.

He questioned when patients were given the antiviral drugs under the WHO study.

"Because the timing is very important. If you give these treatments very late, for example, beyond two weeks, of course the impact on mortality will be relatively low, or there may not be any impact at all," he said.

He added that it remains unknown where the clinical trials were performed.

"If they were performed in developed countries, the data would be much more reliable, because they have the manpower to perform these really rigid clinical trials. If the study was not performed to the gold standard, then the results will be challenged by others," he said.

Hung said although fewer than 30 Covid patients in Hong Kong have been given this drug, it has been shown to have a clinical impact if used early.

Meanwhile, respiratory medicine specialist Professor David Hui, who advises the government on its coronavirus strategy, also said remdesivir can certainly shorten the clinical course and patients' length of stay in hospital.