Merck's Q1 Was Solid, Considering -- All As Gilead Candidate For COVID-19 Shines...

We have, for a solid decade here, tracked these two companies -- as their narrative arcs overlapped on a series of products -- and they both competed against, and sued one another, in various settings.

But this morning, we will praise them both, without reservation: Merck posted very solid Q1 2020 results, yesterday -- doubly so, in the time of COVID. And Gilead looks to have a clear leader, in the global race to provide working therapies, for the most severe cases of COVID-19.

Kudos go out to both -- but here is STAT+'s cogent take, on the Gilead top line results:

. . . .A government-run study of Gilead’s remdesivir, perhaps the most closely watched experimental drug to treat the novel coronavirus, showed that the medicine is effective against Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Gilead made the announcement in a statement Wednesday, stating: “We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint.” The company said that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is conducting the study, will provide data at an upcoming briefing.

The finding -- although difficult to fully characterize without any data for the study — would represent the first treatment shown to improve outcomes in patients infected with the virus that put the global economy in a standstill and killed at least 218,000 people worldwide. . . .

[T]he NIAID study, which was not expected to be released so soon, was by far the most important and rigorously designed test of remdesivir in Covid-19. The study compared remdesivir to placebo in 800 patients, with neither patients nor physicians knowing who got the drug instead of a placebo, meaning that unconscious biases will not affect the conclusions. . . .

Meanwhile, in Kenilworth yesterday, Merck CEO intoned: ". . .In this challenging and unprecedented time, our first quarter performance reflects strong demand for our portfolio of innovative products, continued commercial and clinical execution and the dedication and resilience of our employees around the world. The fundamentals of our business remain strong.

The COVID-19 global pandemic poses extraordinary challenges to all of us including; serious threat to the health of people, businesses and economies around the world. Without question, our industry and our company have a unique ability and responsibility to help the world respond to this global pandemic by working collaboratively to deliver solution to coronavirus infection, while also maintaining the supply of medically important product to those who need them. . . ."

Now you know. Onward, grinning -- on a foggy, rainy but warming morning. . . . this is what real life science research looks like, as opposed to Martin's prison dormitory room. . . self-deluding fantasies.

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