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After Donald Trump was diagnosed with an infection with the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2, the U.S. President is being treated with a number of different drugs. For most of the drugs, efficacy against the virus has not yet been reliably proven. What is known about the drugs?. In its online edition, “Kurier” newspaper described the three important drugs being prescribed to the sick president.
Remdesivir: Originally developed for the treatment of Ebola, Remdesivir is the only drug for the specific treatment of Covid-19 that is approved in the EU under certain conditions. It inhibits an enzyme of the viruses that is necessary for their multiplication. An international study with more than 1000 participants showed in early May that Remdesivir can shorten the time to recovery in Covid-19 patients by an average of four days – from 15 to 11 days. In July, the manufacturer – the US pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences – then reported that it can also reduce mortality. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends the drug for patients aged twelve years and older who have pneumonia and need to be supplied with additional oxygen. Many experts emphasized that the drug is a first step, but not a panacea. EMA is currently investigating whether Remdesivir causes kidney complications. According to corresponding reports, a safety testing procedure for the drug Veklury has been started, the authority announced on Friday.
Antibody cocktail: On Friday, Donald Trump received a dose of an experimental antibody cocktail, which the biotechnology company Regeneron is currently investigating in clinical studies, according to his personal physician. Earlier this week, the company presented initial results in a press release; the data have not yet been independently reviewed. 275 patients who were not treated in hospital were reported to have received a mix of two antibodies at different doses or a sham drug. The antibodies are directed against two regions of the spike protein on the surface of the sars-CoV-2 virus.
According to the company, the treatment led to a reduction in viral load, i.e. the amount of detectable virus, and to a more rapid resolution of symptoms. According to the company, those volunteers whose immune system had not yet formed their own antibodies against the virus benefited most. Instead of 13 days in the placebo group, it took only six (lower dosage) or eight (higher dosage) days for symptoms to subside or disappear completely. The average age of the test persons was 44 years, which means that they were significantly younger than the 74-year-old U.S. president.
Famotidine: Famotidine is a so-called acid blocker, which is used for the treatment of stomach acid-related diseases. At the beginning of the pandemic, scientists in China had found evidence that people taking the drug had a low risk of dying from Covid-19. Its efficacy is currently being tested in several clinical trials. US researchers recently presented the results of a small study in the “American Journal of Gastroenterology”. According to this study, the drug reduced mortality among other things.
Besides the US president takes zinc, Vitamin D, Aspirin as well as the sleep hormone Melatonin according to its physician. Vitamins and minerals are generally said to strengthen the immune system. An effectiveness with Covid-19 is not reliably proven.
— Hector Pascua with reports from kurier.at. Picture: stockilyapp.com
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