Early results show new COVID-19 drug being tested in San Antonio is working

COVID-19 Coronavirus Infections Viruses

Media contacts: Rosanne Fohn, (210) 210-232-5998, fohn@uthscsa.edu
Shelley Kofler: (512) 294-5224, shelley.kofler@uhs-sa.com

UT Health San Antonio researcher is leading study site at University Health System

SAN ANTONIO (April 30, 2020) — Early results of a COVID-19 treatment study being conducted in San Antonio shows a faster recovery time and fewer deaths for patients on the new therapy.

Dr. Thomas Patterson, professor and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, is principal investigator of the study site for patients at University Hospital.

“We’re thrilled that the drug is showing such good results so early,” said Dr. Patterson, who also is leading the COVID-19 Infectious Disease team at University Health System. “This important clinical trial showed improved recovery time and reduced mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection.”

The study is being conducted at dozens of study sites throughout the U.S., including Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and in a few international locations.

The study included patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19. One group of patients received the new drug called remdesivir and the other group received a placebo. Neither doctors nor patients know which agent the patients were receiving.

Preliminary results show that patients who received the new antiviral drug had a 31% faster recovery time (11 days) than those who received the placebo (15 days). Recovery is defined as being well enough to be discharged from the hospital or returning to normal activities. The death rate for patients on remdesivir was 8% compared to 11.6% for those on placebo.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is sponsoring the clinical trial, the first one launched in the United States to evaluate an experimental treatment for COVID-19.

The clinical trial included 1,063 patients and began Feb. 21 in the U.S., and on March 26 at University Hospital. “I am so proud of our research team at UT Health San Antonio and our partners at University Hospital who helped set up this study within days of our being notified that we were going to be included in the trial,” Dr. Patterson said.

More data from the study will be available in a forthcoming report. As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s commitment to expediting the development and availability of potential COVID-19 treatments, the agency has been engaged in sustained and ongoing discussions with Gilead Sciences regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as appropriate.

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The Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is named for Texas philanthropists Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long. The school is the largest educator of physicians in South Texas, many of whom remain in San Antonio and the region to practice medicine. The school teaches more than 900 students and trains 800 residents each year. As a beacon of multicultural sensitivity, the school annually exceeds the national medical school average of Hispanic students enrolled. The school’s clinical practice is the largest multidisciplinary medical group in South Texas with 850 physicians in more than 100 specialties. The school has a highly productive research enterprise where world leaders in Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer, aging, heart disease, kidney disease and many other fields are translating molecular discoveries into new therapies. The Long School of Medicine is home to a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center known for prolific clinical trials and drug development programs, as well as a world-renowned center for aging and related diseases.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, dba UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 37,000 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

University Health System with University Hospital is a nationally recognized teaching hospital and network of outpatient healthcare centers, owned by the people of Bexar County. In partnership with UT Health San Antonio, it is consistently recognized as a leader in advanced treatment options, new technologies and clinical research.



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