Please Tell Me: Potential Covid-19 Drugs Ritonavir, Lopinavir, Interferon Beta

Yes, it is. In summary, WHO is launching a large global clinical trial called solidarity to see if new and old drugs can be used to treat Covid-19.

We talked about two of these drugs, Chloroquine and lemdecivir, Last two weeks.

You can discuss other drugs being tested in today’s trials.

they are:

• Ritonavir / Lopinavir
• Ritonavir / lopinavir and interferon beta

Wait, can you tell us about your solidarity trial before you do that? I have Malaysia in it, so I’m looking forward to it.

Only people over the age of 18 and holding Covid-19 can participate in a solidarity trial.

Patients are asked to sign a consent form to show that they understand the potential risk of the treatment being given to them.

The patient is then randomly assigned to one of the treatments. Treatment may or may not include drugs.

Patients who sign up for this should not have contraindications or allergies to any of the research drugs.

Do you mean that patients cannot choose to take a particular medication? My uncle with Covid-19 wants to be given one of the new antiviral drugs.

Unfortunately, that’s what a randomized, double-blind trial does.

Neither the patient nor the medical staff can choose which research treatment the patient will receive or the parties will not know which treatment the patient is receiving.

The computer randomly assigns treatment options to each patient.

Aside from various medications, patients are randomly assigned by computer to receive standard treatment options in their area.

This means that patients receive the best supportive care the country can currently give to patients on Covid-19.

This is the treatment currently being offered to most Covid-19 patients worldwide, before crying “unfair”. Drugs that treat Covid-19 have not yet been scientifically proven.

Now all the trials are coded. Data is collected for many treatment options such as when a patient feels better, worse, discharged, or died.

It also includes cases where ventilation is provided and intensive care is required.

The interim analysis is monitored by a global data and safety oversight committee of independent experts.

Can only highly ill patients participate in this trial?

No. All patients with Covid-19 who meet the eligibility criteria can be admitted to the hospital, with or without mild symptoms. Very unwell or ventilated.

The purpose of this trial is to find out which drugs are most effective in providing options for treating Covid-19 in the future.

The results of this test are very important for shaping the world now that Covid-19 has taken over every aspect of our lives.

If there is a cure, or at least some treatment to control the disease, knowing that you have a safety net when you get sick can help you return to normal life.

After all, we cannot live the rest of our lives in self-isolation or isolation.

If you look at all these pandemic movies, finding a cure or vaccine usually ends in a positive story.

So what is Ritonavir?

Ritonavir is an antiretroviral drug. It is classified as a protease inhibitor.

It is used to block enzymes that metabolize other protease inhibitors, allowing it to work longer in the body.

That is why it is such a good combination drug.

It was discovered in 1989 for the treatment of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and was on the market by 1996.

It is one of the drugs used in the highly effective HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy) regimen used to treat HIV / AIDS.

Low doses of ritonavir are used in regimens with other protease inhibitors.

It can also be used in combination with other drugs to treat hepatitis C.

It is an oral drug.

Side effects include nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and numbness.

It can also cause serious side effects that affect the liver, pancreas, and heart rhythm.

How about lopinavir?

Lopinavir is also a protease inhibitor. Ritonavir is usually used with ritonavir because it strongly inhibits the metabolism of lopinavir and lopinavir acts longer in the body.

It was patented in 1995 and used around 2000.

This year’s Wuhan study (2020) found that the combination of ritonavir and lopinavir was not effective in fighting Covid-19.

However, solidarity trials still study it to confirm or disprove Wuhan’s results.

What is Interferon Beta?

Interferons are cytokines produced by our own body as part of the immune response to viral and bacterial invasion.

It is produced at the end of a stroke and helps the body reduce its own immune response and the severity of inflammation caused. If so, call it a modulator.

Currently used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Because some Covid-19 patients have a cytokine storm that requires their lungs to be filled with fluid and ventilated, drugs such as interferon beta “sedate” the storm and prevent the need for ventilation. Helps.

Dr. YLM graduated as a doctor and has been writing for many years in various fields such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For more information, please email starhealth @ thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither Star Nor does the author make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness, or other guarantees of such information. Star And the author disclaims any liability for any loss, property damage or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from dependence on such information.