A review of remdesivir for COVID-19 in pregnancy and lactation. (24th August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jorgensen, Sarah C J; Davis, Matthew R; Lapinsky, Stephen E
• Is Part Of: Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy. Volume 77:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 24
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2021-08-24
• Subjects: Anti-infective agents -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; 615.58
• DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkab311
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-7453

Abstract

Abstract: Mounting evidence suggests that pregnant people have an elevated risk of severe COVID-19-related complications compared with their non-pregnant counterparts, underscoring the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies. However, despite progress in innovative and flexible trial designs during the COVID-19 pandemic, regressive policies excluding pregnant and breastfeeding people from biomedical research persist. Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral, was the first drug licensed for the treatment of COVID-19, based on data showing it reduced the time to recovery in hospitalized patients. Pregnant and breastfeeding people were specifically excluded from all clinical trials of remdesivir in COVID-19, but data are accumulating from post-marketing registries, compassionate use programmes and case series/reports. In this review we synthesize these data and highlight key knowledge gaps to help inform clinical decision-making about its use in pregnancy and lactation.