Wonder drug could be ‘biggest step forward’

THE first drug for coronavirus was yesterday approved for Britain in what was ‘the biggest step forward’ since the beginning of the crisis.

Antiviral drug remdesivir was given the go-ahead for Covid-19 patients after early clinical trials showed it could improve recovery time by four days.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the daily Downing Street press conference: ‘This is probably the biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus since the crisis began. These are early steps but we are determined to support the science and back the projects that show promise.’

He said the drug would be given only to certain patients initially – and that a new trial will be launched to gather further evidence as to its effectiveness.

Mr Hancock added: ‘As you can understand, we’ll be prioritising the use of this treatment where it can provide the greatest benefit.’

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which approved the drug as part of its ‘early access to medicines scheme’ (EAMS) said remdesivir could be used for ‘selected’ patients. Only adults and children over the age of 12 will be eligible – and the drug will be reserved, at first, for those who ‘have the greatest likelihood of deriving the most benefit’.

Remdesivir, developed by drugs giant Gilead, is in limited supply and likely to be used only for a few very ill NHS patients until manufacturing is increased.

The treatment, originally developed to tackle ebola, has been the subject of huge interest since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scientists view the drug as the most promising out of a number of antivirals in trials. Every titbit of information about the treatment has resulted in huge swings in the stock market.

There is no evidence yet that it actually improves survival.

However, data published last month showed it shortened average recovery time from 15 days to 11, which has been deemed sufficient for UK regulators to include it in the EAMS programme.

This scheme allows doctors to prescribe promising medicines before they have been granted an official drugs licence.

Under the terms of the programme, Gilead will provide the drug for free until it gets a licence.

Health minister Lord Bethell said: ‘This shows fantastic progress. As we navigate this unprecedented period, we must be on the front foot of the latest medical advancements... we will continue to monitor remdesivir’s success in clinical trials across the country to ensure the best results for UK patients.’

Trials of the drug are ongoing, but predominantly led by the US.

Scientists at University College London and Hull University Teaching Hospitals are involved in the trials but supplies of the drug are so limited that only 46 British patients have been able to take part, out of 1,000 worldwide. The shortage poses questions about how many people would potentially be able to access the treatment, which is delivered by a drip.

Mr Hancock said a UK trial of remdesivir will be launched, and experts last night welcomed the news as a major breakthrough.