remdesivir

noun

rem·​des·​i·​vir ˌrem-ˈde-sə-ˌvir How to pronounce remdesivir (audio)
: an antiviral agent C27H35N6O8P that is administered intravenously and inhibits viral replication by interfering with RNA polymerase function

Note: Remdesivir is a nucleotide prodrug that undergoes metabolic conversion in the body to a triphosphate nucleotide.

As part of a national clinical trial, the Orange County team of medical scientists are authorized to use the antiviral drug remdesivir—once developed to treat the Ebola virus—on certain COVID-19 patients hospitalized at UCI Medical Center in Orange.Theresa Walker
Previous research in cell cultures and animal models has shown that remdesivir can block replication of a variety of coronaviruses …Victoria Rees

Examples of remdesivir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of the biggest changes occurred in 2020 with a huge increase in the use of words like lockdown,pandemic, respiratory and remdesivir during the covid outbreak, an event that is widely acknowledged to have had one of biggest impacts on scientific publishing in history. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2024 The Company believes that since remdesivir is already US FDA approved, our drug candidate encapsulating remdesivir is likely to be an approvable drug, if safety is comparable. Kansas City Star, 24 June 2024 This summer, the United States bought up virtually all the supplies of remdesivir, one of the first drugs proven to work against COVID-19, leaving none for the United Kingdom, the EU, or most of the rest of the world for three months. Thomas J. Bollyky, Foreign Affairs, 27 July 2020 There’s also remdesivir, which is administered intravenously. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for remdesivir 

Word History

Etymology

rem- (of undetermined origin) + -desi-, infix denoting an adenosine analog (probably from adenosine) + -vir, combining element denoting an antiviral compound (from virus)

Note: According to the prescriptions of the U.S. Adopted Names Council, the initial element in generic drug names is to be meaningless.

First Known Use

2017, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of remdesivir was in 2017

Dictionary Entries Near remdesivir

Cite this Entry

“Remdesivir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remdesivir. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

remdesivir

noun
rem·​des·​i·​vir ˌrem-ˈdes-ə-ˌvir How to pronounce remdesivir (audio)
: an antiviral agent C27H35N6O8P that is administered intravenously and inhibits viral replication by interfering with RNA polymerase function

Note: Remdesivir is a nucleotide prodrug that undergoes metabolic conversion in the body to a triphosphate nucleotide.

… patients with moderate-to-severe Covid-19 who were treated with remdesivir had a shorter time to recovery and a lower risk of progression to more severe respiratory disease than patients who received placebo.Robert L. Gottlieb et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
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