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Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, pharmaceutical companies and researchers worldwide have been working on therapies against Covid-19, and there is now greater clarity about some of them. However, a miracle cure has not yet been found.
Dexamethasone (and corticoids)
The steroid dexamethasone has shown promise in early studies in patients requiring oxygen – the only drug proven to reduce mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency therefore advocate its use. According to the studies, however, it could possibly only work in the most severe cases.
Recent research suggests that other steroids could also reduce mortality in hospitalized patients.
Remdesivir
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May, the antiviral drug Remdesivir, which was originally developed against Ebola, shortens the length of hospital stays of corona patients from an average of 15 to 11 days. This is contradicted by a study published last week by the WHO involving more than 11,000 patients from 30 countries. According to the study, the drug appeared to have “little or no effect” on the mortality or length of hospital stay of patients. However, the data have not yet been peer reviewed or published in a peer-reviewed journal – and appear to contradict other U.S. studies.
What does not work
Hydroxychloroquine
Perhaps the most controversial drug in the pandemic is hydroxychloroquine, which is celebrated by its fans as a miracle cure and has long had its most prominent advocate in U.S. President Donald Trump. Critics warn of serious side effects when treating corona patients with the anti-malaria drug. In June, the British recovery study concluded that the drug does not contribute to reducing corona mortality – a result that was also confirmed by the WHO study last week.
Lopinavir Ritonavir
The drug combination otherwise used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS has proven ineffective in hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Again, it was the recovery study that led to these results on June 29. According to these results, the lopinavir-ritonavir combination, marketed under the name Kaletra, does not reduce the length of hospitalization or the risk of being ventilated. Nor does it reduce the mortality rate.
What is still being tested
Synthetic antibodies
In the fight against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, the body develops antibodies – proteins that are directed against certain pathogens. These can be synthesized in a laboratory and administered to patients to boost their own immune response. Trump received this still experimental treatment when he was hospitalized with Covid-19.
Plasma
Plasma from the blood of recovered patients showed early promise when administered to Covid-19 patients, either by drip or injection. According to some studies, the use of so-called convalescent plasma has already proven effective in the treatment of Ebola virus or SARS, which belongs to the same family as the new coronavirus. However, according to the unanimous opinion of experts, further comparative studies – such as the current recovery study – are necessary to make a clear statement.
Others
The recovery study is also investigating the efficacy of tocilizumab, an immunosuppressive agent that the researchers hope could prevent excessive and potentially fatal inflammation in severe cases.
Other studies are also underway to investigate the suitability of drugs used for other diseases.
- hp, Source: news.at. Picture: stockilyapp.com
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