Clinical evidence of the effectiveness of remdesivir in COVID-19 during
periods dominated by Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Abstract
Continuous evaluation of real-world treatment effectiveness of COVID-19
medicines is required due to the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the
possible emergence of resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze
the outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic
waves dominated by Delta and Omicron variants and treated with
remdesivir (RDV) (n=762) in comparison to the demographically and
clinically matched group not treated with any antivirals (n=1060).
During the Delta wave, the RDV-treated group revealed 2-fold lower
mortality (10.8 vs. 23.2%, p<0.001) and 1.5-fold lower during
the Omicron-dominated period (11.4 vs. 16.8%, p=0.05). RDV-treated
groups were characterized by a lower percentage of patients requiring
mechanical ventilation, but the difference was not statistically
significant. This study is the first real-world evidence that RDV
remains effective during the dominance of more pathogenic SARS-CoV-2
variants and those that cause a milder course of the disease and
continues to be an essential element of COVID-19 therapy.