Remdesivir, a remedy or a ripple in severe COVID-19?

Introduction In clinical trial for the Ebola virus, the broad-spectrum anti-viral agent remdesivir was shown to have a good safety profile. Remdesivir is now being tested in severe COVID-19. Areas covered The Gilead Sciences SIMPLE trial suggests that the short-term use of remdesivir probably does not increase mortality dramatically or have serious short-term toxicity when used to treat severe COVID-19. The Adaptive COVID-19 treatment trials (ACTT1) trial showed that remdesivir may shorten recovery and decrease mortality in severe COVID-19 without increasing adverse effects. Expert opinion It seems to me that we have learnt very little from the SIMPLE trial, and this would be predicted from a trial that has no control or placebo group. The results of ACTT1 were reported early after an interim analysis showed that a higher than expected number of recoveries had occurred. There was an indication that remdesivir may be reducing mortality, but this was no statistical significance. The trial is continuing, and the final data are eagerly awaited to determine whether remdesivir is a game-changing remedy or a ripple in the ongoing search for a medicine for the treatment of COVID-19.