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The use of existing drugs, antibody-based therapies, vaccines, along with measures of social and economic recovery are elements proposed to the White House by a group of American scientists and billionaires, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The group, called “Scientists to Stop Covid-19,” is led by Dr. Tom Cahill, a 33-year-old doctor-turned-businessman. The group also includes, among others, Dr. Benjamin Cravatt, Professor of Chemistry at the Scripps Institution, Dr. Lynn Goldman, Dean of the Milken Institute at the University of Washington, Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, Professor of Immunobiology at Yale, and Dr. David Liu, professor of biochemistry at Harvard University.
The working group, which acts as a liaison between pharmaceutical companies and the Donald Trump administration, has already produced a confidential report that contains a number of outliers to counter the virus. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs have already implemented some recommendations, such as manufacturing regulations and conditions for specific medications. The director of the Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, said he agreed with most of the report’s recommendations. The report was presented to members of the Donald Trump administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, head of the anticoronavirus response group.
“SCIENTISTS TO STOP COVID-19”
I. First wave: existing drugs whose purpose changes
A preparation plan for the immediate temporary use of an antiviral medication for the treatment of Covid-19. Among the promising drugs, Remdesivir was the first.
Many of the suggestions for Remdesivir apply to other similar medications.
– The United States Food and Drug Administration must coordinate with Gilead, the manufacturer of Remdesivir, to discuss clinical trials;
– The government should take steps to facilitate the large-scale production of Remdesivir and other pharmaceutical companies;
– Remdesivir is being tested in multiple anti-Covid-19 clinical trials. The drug is administered intravenously and the starting dose is 200 mg, followed by 100 mg for 5-10 days. We believe that this dose may be too low and that treatment should be given to symptomatic patients first. Whether higher doses can be safely administered should be determined by reviewing Gilead’s animal safety studies.
The group of scientists presents a series of studies that would demonstrate the effectiveness of Remdesivir: a 2016 study published in the journal Nature, a 2017 study on the Science of Translational Medicine, evidence of Remdesivir’s effectiveness in treating Ebola, a laboratory study showing that the drug blocks the replication of SARS-Co-V-2.
II. Antibody therapies
American biotech companies have already cloned the Covid-19 antibodies, establishing in laboratory tests that they would be effective. Monoclonal antibodies can be used as a preventive measure, as a short-term vaccine, and to treat patients with coronavirus. Two American companies, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Vir Biotechnology, are leaders in monoclonal antibodies.
– Antibodies can protect essential personnel;
– Antibodies can treat already infected people, as demonstrated during the Ebola epidemic;
– human antibodies are administered as a routine procedure, for example, in cancer therapies and for immunization before travel, being considered very safe;
– This approach has the potential to reach human clinical trials in June and, if the procedures are accelerated with government help, they could be approved this summer or fall, long before a traditional vaccine or drug development.
Efforts against the epidemic should include evidence of prior infection, serological testing for antibodies, and notification of clinical trials to hospitals to expedite approval of potential treatments.
III. vaccines
Plan for the rapid development of a Covid-19 vaccine and future pandemics.
This approach, focused on vaccine development, will deliver a long-term victory over the coronavirus, the report authors say. Although historically the average development and approval of a vaccine is six to eight years, the authors propose a schedule between March 2020 and March 2021. Some current approaches include inactivated virus particles (Sinovac), recombinant proteins (Sanofi), live hybrid viruses (Janssen) and RNA-based vaccines (Moderna, CureVac, BioNTech / Pfizer, Translate / Sanofi). There are currently more than 90 vaccine projects.
– given the urgency of the pandemic, it is essential to develop a standardized clinical evaluation that allows, with the support of regulators, rapid and meaningful comparison of data;
– unprecedented transparency and increased cooperation are needed;
– Plans are required for the rapid distribution and administration of a possible vaccine.
IV. Relaunch social and economic activities.
Although drastic measures of social distancing and restriction remain a necessary step to block the exponential spread of COVID-19 in the United States, the recovery of social and economic activities is increasingly urgent for
The well-being of many Americans. In this document, we propose a plan to reopen schools and businesses in a way that reduces the risk of future outbreaks and loss of life, for example, in the second pandemic wave in the fall.
In this plan, we propose three essential measures for people returning to school and work: 1) report symptoms daily before starting work; 2) participation in frequent PCR tests; 3) use personal protective equipment. We estimate that the risks associated with the resumption of social and economic activities will be substantially reduced, the authors emphasize.
Daily symptoms to check:
– all employees, pupils and students must confirm (through a smartphone application), before leaving the house, that they do not have the following symptoms: fever, sinus pain, cough, reduction or change in the sense of smell or taste; sputum; stuffy nose colds, fatigue, sore throat, headache, shortness of breath, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting. “None of these symptoms is specific to Covid-19 disease alone, but together they can be used to assess individual risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection; even if they are caused by other pathogens, it is a prudent basis for stay at home”. , affirm the authors.
– frequent tests of the virus, by means of PCR analysis and even by collecting saliva samples from a group. “(…) Frequent testing of people going to work or study is a key ingredient in resuming social activities and saving the economy,” say the authors.
– use protective equipment: masks similar to surgical ones are recommended.
– serological tests for antibodies, important for the development of vaccines.
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