Remdesivir use growing globally in COVID-19 patients

Worldwide more physicians are using remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients, according to a survey released May 21 by Sermo, a global health care polling company and social platform for physicians.

Sermo's weekly COVID-19 Real Time Barometer surveyed 4,756 physicians (May 11 to 13) in 31 countries. Questions assessed worldwide remdesivir usage.

According to the results of the survey, overall, one-quarter of respondents reported using remdesivir, up from 15 percent in mid-April. More U.S. physicians currently reported using remdesivir than in mid-April (29 versus 17 percent), with usage even higher among intensive care unit physicians (44 versus 25 percent). In the United States, usage is higher than in the rest of the world (29 versus 21 percent).

While the official indication for remdesivir is for severe COVID-19, two-thirds of physicians believe remdesivir is best administered earlier, for moderate patients in the hospital before their symptoms become severe. Just under half of physicians globally (48 percent) rate remdesivir as moderately effective, an increase since mid-April (37 percent), while fewer rate it as highly effective. In the United States, only 18 percent of physicians rate the drug as highly effective versus 25 percent of physicians in other countries.