A combination of remdesivir and a concentrated solution of antibodies did not work well in people hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a newly published study.
About 600 patients spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America were divided into two cohorts for the study. About half received the experimental drug combination while the other half received a placebo and remdesivir.
When measuring the outcomes among the patients after seven days following the treatment, there was little difference between the groups.
Researchers reported that “there was no evidence that patients who received a single infusion of hIVIG in addition to remdesivir and other standard of care had better clinical outcomes at day 7 after randomization than patients who received placebo plus remdesivir and standard of care.”
The hope was when starting the trial that giving people hIVIG at the onset of COVID-19 symptoms could bolster the body’s natural immune response, leading to a reduction of serious illness and death.
The phase 3 trial that researchers reported the results of was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a U.S. institute directed by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“Unfortunately, the trial demonstrated that this strategy did not improve the health of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 and may be harmful for a certain subset of patients. Studies testing this strategy in non-hospitalized adults earlier in the course of infection are underway,” Fauci said in a statement.
Studies testing the same combination in adults who have COVID-19 but are not hospitalized are underway.