[ad_1]
Not just vaccines. To finally defeat COVID-19, an invisible but very dangerous enemy who has turned the world upside down, would also be following another path. According to reports from the guardian, British scientists have begun testing a drug that could guarantee immediate immunity. In practice, an insurmountable shield that allows a subject exposed to the coronavirus not to develop the disease.
The therapy is based on monoclonal antibodies and could guarantee immunity for 6 to 12 months. Hypothetically, the drug, developed by UCLH me AstraZeneca, could be administered as emergency treatment to risk groups, such as hospitalized patients or residents of nursing homes. As Corriere della Sera explains, the study appears to be in an advanced stage. It is speculated that barring unforeseen circumstances, the drug could be available in spring if approved at the end of trials involving a network of 100 sites around the world. “If we can show that this treatment works and can prevent people exposed to the virus from developing Covid-19, it would add another element to the arsenal of weapons that are being developed to combat this terrible virus.”, has declared Catherine Houlihan, virologist presso l’University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (Uclh).
In addition to the one already mentioned by AstraZeneca, at this time there are also 4 other promising drugs. Among these is that of Regeneron (Regn-Cov2) already administered to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and built with a cocktail of 2 monoclonal antibodies. In addition, the drug of Ely Lilly, of Monoclonal Antibody Discovery Laboratory of the Toscana Life Sciences Foundation (Siena) and, finally, of the Prometheus at Karlik Chandran (Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York).
The research results bode well, but there is another hurdle to overcome: costs, which are quite high. But nothing can be ruled out. Perhaps with the progress of the studies, a way can be found to reduce costs with the consequent possible greater diffusion worldwide, obviously after the approval of the competent bodies.
