My RealClear Markets Op-Ed On How Remdesivir Is Based on Junk Science
Billions have been spent on an ineffective, unsafe anti-viral given when viral replication has ceased occurring in the majority of patients. The U.S health system has no limits on corrupt absurdity.
pierrekory.substack.com
Remdesivir claimed the top spot for hospital drug spending in 2021, with sales earning Gilead $4.2 billion in the first nine months alone. The problem is that, at best, the drug doesn’t work.
Despite some initial indication that Remdesivir might slightly reduce recovery time, the World Health Organization conducted a large-scale analysis that found it “had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with Covid-19, as indicated by overall mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay.” Unsurprisingly, the WHO recommended against using this drug to treat Covid-19 in November 2020 (and still does).
At worst, however, Remdesivir is harmful. A subsequent analysis of the agency’s safety database found it likely caused kidney failure, and when independent trials (those not sponsored by a pharmaceutical company) are analyzed alone, there is a clear statistical trend to harm. WHO also warns that the drug may be associated with an increased reporting of liver problems.
