The drug is being tested worldwide because the Covid-19 vaccine is not ready

NEW DELHI: Over 159 vaccine candidates against COVID-19 are in various stages of development around the world, but successful commercial production of a vaccine can take at least a year or more, foreign media reports.

Therefore, because pandemics already cost more than 30,000 rupees, several countries are simultaneously starting studies on the use of different drugs or drug combinations for the immediate treatment of Covid-19. TOI is reviewing some of the key drug research.

US Study: Hydroxychloroquine Containing Antibiotic Azithromycin The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved limited emergency use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of Covid-19. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been used in Covid patients, either alone or in combination with azithromycin. However, the FDA says that the use of antimalarial drugs should be limited to clinical trials or treatment of certain inpatients, recognizing side effects such as serious cardiac rhythm problems. However, we recommend that the benefits outweigh the risks. US President Donald Trump says he is also taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative agent for coronaviruses.

* U.S. study: Rendicivir and anti-inflammatory drug valicitinib National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety of therapeutic regimens of the antiviral drug rendecibir developed by Gilead and anti-inflammatory drug valicitinib against COVID. Sponsored-19. Investigators expect to enroll more than 1,000 participants in the United States. Trials are expected to be held at 100 US and international sites.

* Chinese study: Fabiravir The Chinese National Medical Devices Agency has approved the use of the antiviral drug Fabiravir as a treatment for coronavirus. The drug is reported to be effective in treating the disease with minimal side effects in a clinical trial in 70 patients. Clinical trials are being conducted in Shenzhen.

* University of Minnesota: BP drug Losartan Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine have begun enrolling patients in clinical trials that include the BP drug Losartan as a potential treatment for patients diagnosed with Covid-19. Two studies are being conducted. The first is to assess whether the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) losartan can prevent lung injury in people hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia, and the second is whether the drug can prevent hospitalization. I will evaluate.

French study: Arthritis drug tocilizumab (Actemra) Early data from clinical trials in France show a promising profile of the Roche unit Genentech’s rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab (Actemra) for treating severe COVID-19 patients I will. The study, conducted by the University of Paris Hospital Trust, enrolled 129 hospitalized patients with moderate or severe viral pneumonia. The drug was able to “significantly” reduce the number of deaths or life support interventions compared to controls. China has also approved the use of Actemra for the treatment of serious COVID complications.

* Bangladesh Study: Combination of ivermectin and doxycycline. A team of researchers in Bangladesh, led by Dr. Md Tarek Alam, tested Covid-19 patients with a single dose of the frequently used antiprotozoal drug called ivermectin, using the antibiotic doxycycline, with positive results. I got it. “Of the 60 patients who received the drug combination, they all recovered. The patients recovered from the virus within 4 days and had no side effects,” Alam says.

* Japanese study: Favipiravir or avigan antiviral drug favipiravir or avigan, developed by Fujifilm Toyama Kagaku in Japan, shows promising results in the treatment of mild to moderate cases of Covid-19. The drug has been tested on 340 individuals in Wuhan and Shenzhen, China. “It has a high degree of safety and is obviously effective for treatment,” said Zhang Xinmin, a ministry of science and technology in China.