Late-stage study of COVID-19 convalescent-plasma treatment with remdesivir starts

FILE PHOTO: An ampule of Ebola drug Remdesivir is pictured during a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, Germany, April 8, 2020, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues. Ulrich Perrey/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - A late-stage trial testing the combination of Gilead Sciences' remdesivir and a highly concentrated solution of antibodies that neutralize the COVID-19 virus has begun, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Thursday.

Trial investigators believe that giving the antibody solution to COVID-19 patients at the onset of symptoms could heighten the natural antibody response to the virus, thereby reducing the risk of severe illness and death. (https://bit.ly/3iF2kJf)