Gilead Sciences Inc.’s remdesivir reduced mortality risk for Covid-19 patients by 62% compared to standard care, according to a new analysis of trial data released by the drugmaker.
The new analysis compared late-stage trial data with real-world treatment. Gilead will present the findings at the Virtual COVID19 Conference as part of the 23rd International AIDS Conference, the company said in a statement.
The comparative analysis released Friday showed the death rate for patients treated with remdesivir was 7.6% at Day 14 compared with 12.5% among patients not taking remdesivir. The analysis also found 74.4% of remdesivir-treated patients recovered by Day 14, versus 59% of patients receiving the standard of care alone.
Gilead shares gained 2.1% to $76.25 at 9:34 a.m. on Friday in New York. So far this year, the stock has risen 17%, largely powered by hopes that remdesivir will become a widely-adopted drug for treating Covid-19 around the world.
Remdesivir was granted an emergency use authorization by U.S. regulators in May. A large trial found it sped recovery by about four days in hospitalized patients.
Foster City, California-based Gilead recently said it would charge U.S. hospitals roughly $3,120 for most patients who need remdesivir, picking a middle ground in a high-profile decision on cost.
The comparative analysis included 312 patients treated in a large, late-stage clinical trial, and a separate real-world study of 818 patients with similar characteristics and disease severity who received standard of care in the same time-period.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.