Pharmaceutical companies Amgen Inc, UCB SA and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc today launched a global clinical trial to see if any of the three different drugs can reduce its severity. Covid-19 in hospitalized patients, limiting the response of their immune system.
The three companies are part of the R&D Alliance, a team of more than 20 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies working together to accelerate the development of cures for the disease that has killed more than 1,4 million people in all over the world.
In their study, they will first look at whether Amgen otezla (used for psoriasis), Takeda's experimental, anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibody, and UCB's experimental zilucoplan, which is tested in severe myasthenia gravis, can prevent system in the new coronavirus, which sometimes leads to serious or even fatal organ damage.
"We hope to find options that could potentially save lives (…) before a vaccine becomes widely available," said Amgen lead researcher David Reese. Experts do not expect the vaccines to be available to most people by mid-2021.
In the meantime, however, the number of patients with Covid-19 in American hospitals has reached record levels and threatens the health system with collapse. Candidate drugs will be tested against a placebo.
All patients will receive the standard medication given in hospitals at the same time. Other medications, such as antivirals, may be included in the study in the coming months. So far, only one class of steroids used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis has been shown in a study to improve the survival of patients with severe Covid-19. Steroids are not recommended for patients with milder symptoms.
The R&D test will involve patients admitted to intensive care units and single beds. Tests are expected in several parts of the United States, including Brazil, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and other countries.
Source: KYPE
