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A clinical study on a possible corona drug is beginning at Kepler University Hospital in Linz. It was jointly developed by Josef Penninger of Upper Austria.
LINZ There is feverish worldwide research for a drug against COVID-19, also in Linz. Kepler University Hospital (KUK) is one of 16 hospitals in the world where an active ingredient is used jointly developed by the Austrian senior geneticist Josef Penninger. The drug is administered intravenously to patients with severe coronary heart disease and is said to have a beneficial effect on the duration and severity of the disease.
Double effect
The active ingredient was developed in the early 2000s against the SARS and MERS corona viruses, but was never used due to the relatively rapid end of the epidemics. The goal is to prevent the virus from entering cells.
“In principle, the fewer viruses that can penetrate human cells and reproduce, the easier it will be for the immune system to avoid the attack,” explains Prim. Bernd Lamprecht, director of the Pneumology Clinic.
On the other hand, it reduces harmful inflammatory processes in the lungs and protects against acute lung failure.
Linz is proud to have participated in the study.
“This impressively demonstrates how we can benefit from the competition and networking of a university hospital in healthcare for the Upper Austrian population,” said Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander and Franz Harnoncourt, managing directors of Upper Austria Health. Holding and Kepler Universitätsklinikum GmbH.
200 patients in Denmark, Germany, England and Austria participate in the study and receive two infusions of the active ingredient daily for seven days.
