China Junshi's potential COVID drug shows promise in small trial

18/5/2022 15:07

        An antiviral oral drug being co-developed by Shanghai Junshi Biosciences' subsidiary and other Chinese institutes showed early promise in speeding the clearing of virus in COVID-19 patients, according to a small clinical trial.
        
        The drug, called VV116, is a derivative of Gilead Sciences Inc's COVID drug remdesivir and was approved for use in moderate to severe cases in Uzbekistan last year.
        
        The viral shedding period, defined by its trial researchers as the duration between the first positive COVID test result and the first negative one, was 8.56 days for participants who took the experimental treatment within five days from the first positive test result.
        
        That was shorter than 11.13 days seen in the control group, peer-reviewed data showed.