Real-world evidence of survival benefit of remdesivir: study of 419 propensity score-matched patients hospitalized over the alpha and delta waves of COVID-19 in New Orleans, LA

Background The direct acting antiviral remdesivir (RDV) has shown promising results in randomized clinical trials. This study is a unique report of real clinical practice RDV administration for COVID-19 from alpha through delta variant circulation in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA). Patients in NOLA have among US worst pre-COVID health outcomes, and the region was an early epicenter for severe COVID. Methods Data were directly extracted from electronic medical records through REACHnet. Of 9,106 adults with COVID, 1,928 were admitted to inpatient care within 7 days of diagnosis. The propensity score is based upon 22 selected covariates, related to both RDV assignment and outcome of interest. RDV and non-RDV patients were matched 1:1 with replacement, by location and calendar period of admission. Primary and secondary endpoints were, death from any cause and inpatient discharge, within 28 and 14 days after inpatient admission. Results Of 448 patients treated with RDV, 419 (94%) were successfully matched to a non-RDV patient. 145 (35%) patients received RDV for < 5 days, 235 (56%) for 5 days, and 39 (9%) for > 5 days. 96% of those on RDV received it within 2 days of admission. RDV was more frequently prescribed in patients with pneumonia (standardized difference: 0.75), respiratory failure, hypoxemia, or dependence on supplemental oxygen (0.69), and obesity (0.35) within 5 days prior to RDV initiation or corresponding day in non-RDV patients (index day). RDV patients were numerically more likely to be on steroids within 5 days prior to index day (86 vs. 82%) and within 7 days after inpatient admission (96 vs. 87%). RDV was significantly associated with lower risk of death within 14 days after admission (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.69, p = 0.002) but not within 28 days (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.36 to 1.07, p = 0.08). Discharge within 14 days of admission was significantly more likely for RDV patients (p < 0.001) and numerically more likely within 28 days after admission (p = 0.06). Conclusion Overall, our findings support recommendation of RDV administration for COVID-19 in a highly comorbid, highly impoverished population representative of both Black and White subjects in the US Gulf South.