Abstract

Dr. Apoorva Tangri and *Dr. Alka Tangri

ABSTRACT

Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that targets a range of viruses. It was originally developed over a decade ago to treat hepatitis C and a cold-like virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Remdesivir wasn’t an effective treatment for either disease. But it showed promise against other viruses. Remdesivir (RDV) is a type of broad-spectrum antiviral medication called a nucleotide analog. It is currently an investigational drug and not approved in any country for any use.COVID-19 is an RNA virus. (RNA is the molecular transcription tool organisms use to build proteins using DNA instructions.) RNA viruses are dependent on an RNA polymerase enzyme to grow the RNA chain. Remdesivir substitutes this RNA polymerase enzyme, meaning the RNA can’t develop so the virus cannot replicate itself. Researchers tested remdesivir in clinical trials during the Ebola outbreak. Other investigational medications worked better, but it was shown to be safe for patients. Studies in cells and animals suggested that remdesivir was effective against viruses in the coronavirus family, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Recently By April2020, early results indicated that remdesivir accelerated recovery for hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. It became the first drug to receive emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat people hospitalized with COVID-19.