What molecule am I?
Remdesivir is an antivirus drug that was developed by Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA) to combat the West African Ebola virus disease epidemic in the mid-2010s. It has also shown activity against the hemorrhagic fever Marburg virus (MARV), the Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-coV), and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-coV).
Within months after the outbreak of the current COVID-19 viral pandemic, researchers began to evaluate the ability of remdesivir to overcome the corresponding virus, SARS-CoV-2. Of the five Phase III trials that have begun to date, two are being conducted in China, one by the US National Institutes of Health, and two by Gilead. All of these trials focus on patients who have severe and moderate cases of the disease.
The consensus in the medical community is that the trials won鈥檛 give definitive results. Researchers are optimistic, though, that remdesivir will help some patients. But according to H. Clifford Lane, the clinical director at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is overseeing the NIH trial, 鈥淭he studies might give us some hint, but I do think .鈥�
In addition to the clinical trials, and because of remdesivir鈥檚 proven success against other viruses, it is being sought as a compassionate alternative for patients with COVID-19. The Washington Post recently featured an article about .
See the latest issue of Chemical & Engineering News for more 听on remdesivir clinical trials.
Remdesivir听hazard information
| Hazard class* | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| Not a hazardous substance or mixture | 听 |
听*Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.
MOTW update: December 7, 2020
Baricitinib was the Molecule of the Week for March 2, 2020. It is a janus kinase inhibitor that initially showed promise against rheumatoid arthritis. This past February, researchers reported that it may limit the effects of COVID-19 by attacking a specific enzyme in the virus. On November 19, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an for the combination and remdesivir 鈥渇or the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in hospitalized adults and pediatric patients two years of age or older requiring supplemental oxygen, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.鈥�
Remdesivir听fast facts
| CAS Reg. No. | 1809249-37-3 |
nomenclature | L-Alanine, N-[(S)-hydroxyphenoxy-phosphinyl]-, 2-ethylbutyl ester, 6-ester with 2-C-(4-aminopyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazin-7-yl)-2,5-anhydro-D-altrononitrile |
| Empirical formula | C27H35N6O8P |
| Molar mass | 602.58 g/mol |
| Appearance | White to off-white crystalline powder |
| Melting point | N/A |
| Water solubility | Very slightly soluble |
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