COVID-19 treatment remdesivir linked to pancreas inflammation
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Scientists discovered a popular drug used to treat COVID-19 is linked to a potentially deadly condition.
The drug is remdesivir. It was given emergency-use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a safe and effective monoclonal antibody treatment to fight COVID-19 in May 2020. A large body of evidence showed it reduced recovery time and mortality in infected patients.
But two years into its use, scientists have discovered an association between remdesivir and acute pancreatitis.
The pancreas is a small organ that aids in digestion. Acute pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed. Previous literature shows acute pancreatitis can be drug-induced.
Scientists in Japan assessed 201 patients diagnosed with the virus; they’d been treated with remdesivir. Of the 201 patients, 23 developed increased levels of pancreatic enzymes, an indication of inflammation.
The 201 patients were compared to a control group showing just three patients who developed acute pancreatitis out of 159 not treated with remdesivir.
The authors wrote in the paper: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report a high incidence of acute pancreatitis or a severe increase in pancreatic enzyme levels in COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir.”
Authors go on to suggest monitoring the effects remdesivir may have on patients with COVID-19 who are given the monoclonal antibody.