Impact of Remdesivir on inflammatory and prognostic markers of COVID-19: Findings of an event-monitoring study

Introduction:Remdesivir is currently approved for treating hospitalised patients with COVID-19. However, it is a priority to monitor its safety and effectiveness in various clinical settings. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of remdesivir on inflammatory and prognostic markers of COVID-19.Materials and Methods:A hospital-based prospective longitudinal study was conducted over two months comprising event monitoring of COVID-19 patients administered remdesivir as per standard guidelines. The demographic details, risk factors and all baseline parameters were collected. The patients were followed up for the appearance of any adverse drug reactions (ADRs) after the start of remdesivir therapy from Day 1 to discharge or death every day. Repeat Lab tests were done on days 2, 4, 6 and 10 days to assess the impact of remdesivir on inflammatory and prognostic markers of COVID-19 over time. Significant predictors of survival in the cohort were also assessed.Results:A total of 60 COVID-19 patients were administered remdesivir. The mean age of the patients was 59.2 (+13.7) years. There was a significant improvement in the serum creatinine (decreased from 0.9 to 0.7 mg/dL), lymphocyte count {decreased from 9.2 to 7.3 (109 cells/L)} and serum sodium (increased from 134.6 to 137.4) of the patients over six days after the administration of remdesivir. The significant survival predictors were multiple organ failure (P 0.046) and WBC count on Day 10 (P 0.001).Conclusion:Remdesivir administration improved the prognostic biomarker profile in COVID-19 patients.