Chinese remdesivir data is not so positive

Gilead Science’s antiviral remdesivir, which has been poised as perhaps the best early hope for treating the novel coronavirus, did not hasten the recovery of patients with the disease, according to results from a long-awaited Chinese clinical trial. Gilead, however, told STAT the data sugges a “potential benefit.”

A summary of the data was posted inadvertently on the WHO website and seen by STAT yesterday. It’s since been removed.

The data are still undergoing peer review, and are likely imperfect — the study was ended early, which might have impacted the results. Still, the Chinese study indicated that remdesivir was “not associated with a difference in time to clinical improvement” compared to standard of care.

“If there is no benefit to remdesivir in a study this size, this suggests that the overall benefit of remdesivir in this population with advanced infection is likely to be small in the larger Gilead trial,” one researcher who was not involved in the trial told STAT.

A polarized health tech industry

Although they seem poised for success, many companies providing high-demand virtual health care, triage, and testing services are struggling. There’s a stark divide among these companies: Some are seeing their stock prices soar, while others are furloughing and laying off workers.

Take Nurx, which has developed an at-home Covid-19 test that hasn’t yet won FDA approval. The company recently laid off about 10% of its 200-person workforce. Meanwhile, telemedicine provider Teladoc has seen a 124% rise in stock price since the start of the year.

Why such stark differences among health tech providers? One winning asset is to have been well-established before the pandemic started.

When can we expect a Covid-19 vaccine?

Why was the infectious disease community in denial about the unfolding pandemic? And are ventilators being overused?

We discuss all that and more this week on “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. First, STAT’s Helen Branswell joins us to discuss the ousting of a federal vaccine agency official; she also tells us about her reporting on the inability of experts in the first weeks of this year to recognize the full threat of Covid-19. Next, medicinal chemist Derek Lowe calls in to share his thoughts about the race to develop vaccine candidates to protect against the novel coronavirus.

Then, our colleague Sharon Begley joins us to discuss the growing evidence suggesting that ventilators may be being overused in some Covid-19 patients. Finally, we discuss Biogen’s latest earnings call, a therapeutic video game, and the fate of next year’s J.P. Morgan conference.

Listen here.

Lilly's short-term boost (and sober projections)

Unlike most companies on the planet, Eli Lilly has upped its 2020 profit forecast after reporting a $250 million boost in the first quarter. Turns out, customers have been stockpiling medications — including the diabetes drug Trulicity and the psoriasis drug Taltz — though the company cautioned that this positive trend will likely be reversed over the course of the year.

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks told Reuters that the recession may result in fewer insured Americans, meaning that the company might see lower payments for the drugs. This will likely be more pronounced in 2021, he said.