WHO Announces Three New Drugs For COVID-19 Clinical Trials

Three new candidate drugs are being tested in the latest phase
of global Solidarity clinical trials to find effective treatments
against COVID-19, the World Health Organisation announced on
Wednesday.

The therapies — artesunate, imatinib and infliximab — will be
tested on hospitalised COVID-19 patients in 52 countries under the
Solidarity PLUS programme.

There have been more than 203 million cases of the disease
recorded globally as of Wednesday, according to WHO.

The world hit the 200 million mark last week, just six months
after cases passed 100 million.

Speaking during a press conference in Geneva, WHO’s
Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus underscored the critical
need to find more effective and accessible COVID-19
therapeutics.

“We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat
COVID-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers.

“But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical
spectrum, from mild to severe disease. And we need health workers
that are trained to use them in a safe environment,” he said.

The three drugs were selected by an independent panel for their
potential in reducing the risk of death in people hospitalised for
COVID-19.

They are already being used to treat other conditions.

Artesunate is a medicine for severe malaria, imatinib is used
for certain cancers, including leukemia, while infliximab is used
to treat Crohn’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases
of the immune system.

Manufacturers Ipca, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson, donated the
drugs for the trial.

Solidarity PLUS is the largest global collaboration among WHO’s
194 Member States, with thousands of researchers in over 600
hospitals participating.

Finland is among the 52 countries taking part, 16 more than the
initial Solidarity Trial, and contributes to the COVAX vaccine
solidarity initiative. Two university hospitals in Finland have
been the first worldwide to begin the second phase.

Hanna Sarkkinen, the country’s Minister of Social Affairs and
Health, said clinical trials had a great potential to save
lives.

“Even though there are approximately 3,000 clinical studies on
COVID-19, most of them are too small to yield significant
information. We need clinical trials that are large enough to bring
better treatments for COVID-19 patients,” she said.

Four drugs were evaluated under the initial Solidarity Trial in
2020, which showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir,
and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalised patients
with COVID-19.

Three new candidate drugs are being tested in the latest phase
of global Solidarity clinical trials to find effective treatments
against COVID-19, the World Health Organisation announced on
Wednesday.

The therapies — artesunate, imatinib and infliximab — will be
tested on hospitalised COVID-19 patients in 52 countries under the
Solidarity PLUS programme.

There have been more than 203 million cases of the disease
recorded globally as of Wednesday, according to WHO.

The world hit the 200 million mark last week, just six months
after cases passed 100 million.

Speaking during a press conference in Geneva, WHO’s
Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus underscored the critical
need to find more effective and accessible COVID-19
therapeutics.

“We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat
COVID-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers.

“But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical
spectrum, from mild to severe disease. And we need health workers
that are trained to use them in a safe environment,” he said.

The three drugs were selected by an independent panel for their
potential in reducing the risk of death in people hospitalised for
COVID-19.

They are already being used to treat other conditions.

Artesunate is a medicine for severe malaria, imatinib is used
for certain cancers, including leukemia, while infliximab is used
to treat Crohn’s Disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases
of the immune system.

Manufacturers Ipca, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson, donated the
drugs for the trial.

Solidarity PLUS is the largest global collaboration among WHO’s
194 Member States, with thousands of researchers in over 600
hospitals participating.

Finland is among the 52 countries taking part, 16 more than the
initial Solidarity Trial, and contributes to the COVAX vaccine
solidarity initiative. Two university hospitals in Finland have
been the first worldwide to begin the second phase.

Hanna Sarkkinen, the country’s Minister of Social Affairs and
Health, said clinical trials had a great potential to save
lives.

“Even though there are approximately 3,000 clinical studies on
COVID-19, most of them are too small to yield significant
information. We need clinical trials that are large enough to bring
better treatments for COVID-19 patients,” she said.

Four drugs were evaluated under the initial Solidarity Trial in
2020, which showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir,
and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalised patients
with COVID-19.