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Which covid-19 treatments work and how close are we to getting more?

There are very few drugs shown to help with covid-19, but along with dexamethasone and remdesivir, some new medicines are showing potential
AFP via Getty Images

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Some preliminary results from drug trials show we can lower the risk of developing severe covid-19
AFP via Getty Images

As the World 91É«Ç鯬 Organization (WHO) baldly reminds us, “there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19â€�. However, trials of treatments are taking place. Some have shown promise inÌýhelping those infected byÌýcalming an overreacting immuneÌýsystem or targeting the coronavirusÌý– either by destroying it or stopping it from replicating.

Dexamethasone, a widely available steroid that dampens the immune response, became the first medicine shown to reduce deaths in covid-19 patients. The RECOVERY trial ofÌýmore than 2000 people inÌýpeople on mechanical ventilators by a thirdÌý– and by aÌýfifth in those who received oxygen but not ventilation.

“The trial showed it is beneficial to those who are severely affected,â€� says Sheuli Porkess at the Association ofÌýtheÌýBritish Pharmaceutical Industry. It is now being used byÌýthe National 91É«Ç鯬 Service inÌýthe UK to treat covid-19.

In June, the US bought up virtually all global stocks of theÌýdrug remdesivir, an antiviral that suggested promise against Ebola. The move came after oneÌýtrial found that it reduced recovery time by four days in covid-19 patients.

However, other studies have yielded mixed results: one in April , while an analysis last month by Gilead, the company behind the drug, indicated a . Gilead cautions that more rigorous trials are needed. The drug has received emergency or conditional approval in aÌýnumber of countries. The litmusÌýtest will come in a few weeks with the results of the international .

Trials are also looking at whether the , which is already used to treat arthritis, could be beneficial against covid-19.

Another recent development relates to an inhaler-based treatment that delivers a protein called interferon beta to the lungs. A showed that it reduced the risk ofÌýpatients going on to develop severe covid-19 by 79 per cent, compared with a placebo group. However, this was a small, early trial of the drug, called SNG001, developed by UK firm Synairgen.

The blood plasma of covid-19 survivors offers another possible treatment because it contains antibodies to the coronavirus. AnÌý formed in May to pool research on its useÌýas a therapy for the disease. There are no trial results so far.

New drugs might still emerge. Last week, an analysis of thousands of known drugs that have been approved or are under clinical investigation that inhibited the coronavirus’s replication in cultured cells.
As well as trying to use existing drugs to tackle covid-19, some pharmaceutical companies are exploring entirely new ones.

In addition, researchers haveÌýstarted to rule out certainÌýdrugs. ForÌýexample, hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir-ritonavir haven’t been shown to provide any benefit, atÌýleast in hospital settings.

For now, the focus remains onÌýtreating the most severe, short-term problems caused byÌýthe illness. But with growing evidence pointing toÌýlonger term symptoms, treatments will be needed to tackle those too.

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Topics: coronavirus / covid-19