(Bloomberg) --
A Gilead Sciences Inc. drug being tested as a potential treatment for Covid-19 may reduce the sperm count in mice, according to preliminary findings in a study by Chinese researchers.
After 28 male mice were injected with the antiviral drug remdesivir, their sperm count and motility showed downward trends, the study by Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital and Shenzhen Second People's Hospital showed. There was also an increased number of abnormalities in the sperm, according to the findings, which haven't been peer reviewed.
The study was posted on the biology pre-print website operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on April 23. There was no one available to comment at Gilead's office in Shanghai on Sunday and an email to the company went unanswered.
Gilead's shares have had wide swings in recent days amid conflicting reports about the drug's efficacy against the coronavirus. China plans to announce results on Monday from clinical tests being conducted in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.
Gilead Tumbles After Latest Data Leak on Virus Drug Trials
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