Remdesivir for Adults with COVID-19 - A Living Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Practice Points
Review (4 RCTs, n=2,279) reports remdesivir improves recovery (absolute risk difference [ARD] range, 7% to 10%) vs. placebo and may result in a small reduction in mortality (ARD range, -4% to 1%), shorter recovery times but has little-no effect on hospital length of stay.
Source:
Annals of Internal Medicine
SPS commentary:
The American College of Physicians (ACP) Scientific Medical Policy Committee (SMPC) states this evidence points toward a net benefit for remdesivir in patients with moderate COVID-19. Therefore, in their practice points, the SMPC suggests that a shorter treatment period (5 days) is as effective as a longer one (10 days), with no increase in harms. However, low-certainty evidence also shows improvement for several outcomes when comparing the 10-day course to placebo. Thus, the SMPC states it is also reasonable to consider extending treatment to 10 days for patients whose condition does not improve during the initial 5 days.