Multiple sclerosis medication helps cure COVID-19 and may recover faster

What do multiple sclerosis (MS) have in common with the new coronavirus? Until this week, not many, but recent Clinical trial Represcribing medications used to treat MS has shown that it may also be used to help patients infected with COVID-19.

SNG001 is an inhaled form of a drug called interferon beta that is under development by a British pharmaceutical company. Synairgen.. Interferon is usually prescribed to treat related symptoms Relapsing-remitting MS..

However, in a clinical trial, Synairgen found that when SNG001 was given to patients with COVID-19, it stopped the onset of more severe symptoms, accelerated recovery and allowed early discharge.

As with other clinical trials of COVID-19 treatment, results should be thoroughly checked before SNG001 is included as a standard treatment for coronavirus. The drug’s primary risk (the likelihood of severe depression) should also be weighed against its potential benefits.

How does it work?

MS The state of the central nervous system. Nerve impulses between the brain and spinal cord are blocked or confused. the body’s Immune system Attacks the protective layer around nerve fibers. As a result, you lose muscle control and balance.

In contrast, COVID-19 is a viral infection that affects a patient’s respiratory ability due to inflammation that pressures the lungs.

Common to both diseases is the activation of the body’s immune response. Therefore, drugs that regulate one immune system may work on the other.

Interferon beta (Interferon), a naturally occurring protein in the body, is used as an immunotherapy drug to combat relapsing-remitting MS by reducing inflammation and alleviating the symptoms of the disease.

Synairgen scientists also said COVID-19 Initiates the body’s antiviral response May reduce lung inflammation.

is believed it Some at-risk patient groups are unable to produce interferon as effectively as others, reducing their ability to fight the virus and causing more serious symptoms.

Therefore, giving interferon to these patients should theoretically help fight the virus, alleviate symptoms, and improve survival.

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Interferon is injected weekly into muscle tissue to treat MS.

The SNG001 drug, developed by Synairgen, contains the same interferon therapy used for MS, but is prescribed as an inhaled product.

Initially, the company was developing SNG001 as a treatment for another type of lung disease. Chronic obstructive kidney disease (COPD)But it also saw the direct potential of COVID-19.

Instead of an injection, SNG001 is given to a patient via a nebulizer, a machine that turns an aqueous solution of interferon into a fine mist that the patient can inhale through a facial mask.

Promising results so far

Between March and May of this year, Synairgen Clinical trial At Southampton University Hospital Test SNG001 in COVID-19 patients.. Participants in the study needed only mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Other Clinical trial Has been done in the past for different drugs such as Rem decivil And Dexamethasone, The patient had to be hospitalized before being eligible for medication.

In total, 101 patients in the hospital setting were enrolled in the SNG001 trial and were dosed daily for 14 days. Compared to placebo, patients receiving SNG001 had a 79% lower risk of developing serious illness.

Patients given the drug were also twice as likely to recover from the infection and were discharged earlier than those given the placebo.

The results of clinical trials must be checked by an independent scientist before SNG001 becomes the standard treatment for COVID-19 treatment.

Past test results for hydroxychloroquine I couldn’t stand the scrutiny Results continued after they were announced Withdraw According to the research team.

Risks and benefits

If the most recent results are shown to be reliable, then the physician may decide against SNG001 against potential risk before deciding to make SNG001 part of the standard of care for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The benefits need to be weighed.

One of the most important side effects of the drug is Induce depression..

As a result, interferon is used cautiously in pre-existing patients with depression and suicidal patients. These conditions may already be exacerbated by a pandemic if a potential patient of the drug loses work or does not manage social distance isolation well.

This means that physicians should perform a comprehensive mental health screen for all patients considering SNG001 treatment.

Other side effects related to interferon Is that it can get worse Seizure disorder or heart failure.. Therefore, it should be used with caution in these patient groups.

The results of the SNG001 trial are very encouraging and may provide a treatment to prevent people with mild COVID-19 infections from developing more severe symptoms and requiring hospitalization.

But the results must first be checked by an independent scientist, and medicineThe benefits of should be weighed against their risks. Depression It can cause a wave of mental health problems, making them worse rather than better.

This article is reissued from conversation Under Creative Commons license. Read Original work..