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So far there is no effective vaccine or medicine against the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus. Studies are already underway. And now the first promising results are reported: A drug could be available later this year.
The Federal Institute of Medicines and Medical Devices considers approval of a drug this year possible. BfArM President Karl Broich said that within a few weeks (from mid-April) his authority will have the first verifiable data from clinical studies in Germany testing active substances for the treatment of Covid-19: “If the data gives it, I am very confident that we can give approval this year.” But he also added: “So far we have no evidence of efficacy for any medication.”
Tocilizumab
Intensive care doctors around the world hope to use the rheumatism drug tocilizumab to stop serious cases of Covid-19 disease. As part of a global study, three patients received tocilizumab at the University Hospital in Munich, said Professor Michael von Bergwelt at Deutschlandfunk. Patients are better. But this could also be a natural course, because the study is “placebo controlled.” This means that neither doctors nor patients know what has been administered to them.
While there is reasonable hope that tocilizumab could help against excessive immune responses. Berglauf emphasized that the experience with blood cancer therapy has been good. However, the drug is not a silver bullet against the corona virus. Too many components are still unexplored for this. Based on the current state, it could be assumed that Covid patients with a severe course of the disease could benefit from the remedy. Bergwelt awaits the first results of the study in summer.
Remdesivir
When looking for a drug against Covid-19, a trial with the antiviral agent remdesivir has given positive results, according to the manufacturer. As announced by the American pharmaceutical company Gilead, the clinical study in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States has produced the first optimistic data. However, the company did not provide any details. In the study of about 1,000 patients with Covid-19, remdesivir was compared with a placebo. The drug was originally developed to treat Ebola. The journal “The Lancet” published a study from China, according to which Remdesivir is not effective in the treatment of Covid-19. There is no statistically significant clinical benefit. However, the study authors also referred to the small number of 237 test participants.
The Stat medical website recently reported initial data from the clinical trial. Of 125 patients, 113 of whom were severely affected by Covid-19, only two died when treated with remdesivir. The others quickly relieve symptoms like fever and cough. Almost all of them were released after less than a week. Gilead had not commented on the partial results and referred to the ongoing studies. According to Volkart Wildermuth of Deutschlandfunk’s science department, there were no fewer deaths in the results available before completion, and the healing process was not sped up. There are only indications that the virus can be inhibited if taken early. However, the remedy was unable to help with the subsequent course of Covid-19 with possible lung failure.
In Germany, clinical studies must show whether remdesivir helps. Not allowed in Germany against Covid-19. However, very good therapeutic effects have already been demonstrated in some patients, Clemens Wendtner, chief physician at the Schwabing Clinic in Munich told Deutschlandfunk. If these studies are successful, the drug could be on the market in late 2020 at the earliest. The president of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Broich, expects the first results of the trial on the treatment of Covid-19 in three months. Until then, data is expected from two large studies on remdesivir in Germany with patients with moderate and severe diseases, said Broich. The drug is administered at the university clinics in Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf to patients with Covid-19. Overall, there are some promising therapeutic approaches, Broich said. Clinical trials were also carried out for various doses of hydroxychloroquine. It is a malaria medicine, however the active ingredient has significant side effects (see below).
Remdesivir is considered a beacon of hope among coronavirus antiviral medications. Remdesivir had failed in the fight against the Ebola virus and was not approved, but it was shown to be quite well tolerated. The tests assess not only the efficacy of the drugs against a disease, but also the possible side effects.
Proven HIV and Flu Drugs
Viennese geneticist Josef Penninger is also investigating a drug for Covid-19 lung disease. The co-founder of a biotech company told “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” that the active ingredient “APN01” may soon be ready for use. However, it would probably only help in the disease phase before patients had to be transferred to the intensive care unit.
The Guardian also reports on the flu medication Avigan. It is said to have shown good results and few side effects from tests on Chinese patients with Covid-19. However, the remedy only seems to work in patients with milder symptoms. However, an approval is said to be in the works in May.
A few weeks ago there was a message from Thailand that a combination of flu and HIV medications had helped a patient. Doctors gave the woman the flu medicine oseltamivir and the two active ingredients for HIV, lopinavir and ritonavir. The patient was no longer able to detect the virus 48 hours after treatment, he said. Subsequently, Chinese scientists used the active substances for HIV in patients with Covid 19, but could not find any improvement.
Furthermore, the WHO solidarity study and the discovery study by the French research organization INSERM will look at whether supplementing the two active ingredients of HIV with alpha or beta interferon could be promising. Some medicines with interferon alpha are already used to treat hepatitis B or C. There is currently no approval for interferon beta in the EU.
Malaria remedies are probably not effective against Covid-19
However, hopes for a drug suffered a setback: according to the latest results of US research. In the USA, the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine is not only ineffective, it can also increase the death rate. President Trump had repeatedly touted the chloroquine-related drug chloroquine in recent weeks as a possible cure for Covid-19.
When does the vaccine come?
Numerous institutes and corporations are trying to develop a vaccine against the virus. Around the world, there are almost two dozen substances with different mechanisms of action that are currently being investigated as a possible vaccine against Sars-CoV-2. The first trials and clinical studies have started.
In Germany, according to the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the first clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine candidate should start shortly (starting in mid-April). PEI President Klaus Cichutek assumes that there will be additional tests in Germany later in the year. He did not mention a specific start date. So far, four candidates have been in the first clinical trials worldwide, he said. According to Cichutek, preventive vaccines that specifically target Sars-Cov-2 would be needed, which would be a “game changer.” Due to the expected high demand, vaccines from various manufacturers are needed.
However, despite intensive research, it may still be some time before a vaccine hits the market. Volkart Wildermuth explains why.
(As of April 30, 2020)
More articles on corona virus
We have created a news blog. In view of the large amount of information, it offers an overview of the most important current developments.
We also explain the importance of key indicators: doubling time, number of reproductions, free intensive care beds.
You will also find articles on various focal points:
Measures in Germany
+ Discussion on regional opening: how things could continue with nurseries
+ Schools in Germany: when will schools reopen?
+ Relaxation of restrictions: this is allowed in the federal states
+ Country comparison: Why is Germany (so far) going through the Corona crisis so well?
+ Chatbots and monitoring programs: with applications against the corona virus
Facts and figures of the coronavirus pandemic
+ Figures from Europe: how the coronavirus spreads in Europe
+ Current developments: Figures on the coronavirus in Germany
+ Number of deaths in Germany: why the death rate from coronavirus is (still) so low in Germany
+ Undetected Infected: What is the number of unreported cases of coronavirus infections?
+ RKI or Johns Hopkins? How significant are the numbers on crown infections, deaths, and recoveries
Illness, medication and protection.
Symptoms and course: How does a coronavirus infection occur?
+ Corona virus tests: when, where and how?
+ Vaccines and Medications: Drug Approaches to Corona Virus
+ Face masks and protection: what you need to know about respiratory masks
Economy, social affairs and consumers.
+ Travel: what the 2020 holidays could be like
+ Economic development in Crown times: green or conventional?
+ Sport: how to continue with a sports club and gym
+ Consequences for companies and consumers: what a recession due to the corona virus means for Germany
+ Shopping cart and company: How long does corona virus remain on surfaces
+ Do countries ruled by women improve through the crown crisis?
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