Remdesivir in Solid Organ Recipients for COVID-19 Pneumonia

Abstract

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients represent a vulnerable patient population and are of high risk for airborne viral infections, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Treatment of COVID-19 is still challenging, as no proven therapeutic regimen is available for immunocompromised patients. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of remdesivir (RDV) therapy in infected hospitalized SOT patients. All transplanted recipients (N = 25; lung: 19; kidney: 3, liver: 2, heart: 1) who needed hospital care were reviewed in the time period between September 2020 and May 2021 out of the 945 patients treated at the Department. Case control matched patients receiving RDV (all in need of supplementary oxygen) and standard of care (SOC) were included as controls. Among the 25 SOT patients (female:male = 11:14; average age = 53.2 ± 12.7 years), 15 received RDV medication (RDV-TX), and in 10 cases SOC treatment was used (SOC-TX). Significantly worse clinical score was noted in RDV patients compared with RDV-TX; however, transfer to a higher intensity care unit as well as 60-day survival of RDV-TX patients were significantly worse. All SOT fatalities within 60 days of follow-up were lung transplant recipients (6 out of 19 lung transplant patients). No adverse events were noted related to RDV therapy. In SOT patients, especially lung transplant recipients, with severe COVID-19 needing supplementary oxygen, RDV treatment was safe; however, outcome was significantly worse as compared with nontransplanted individuals with initially worse clinical parameters.