How COVID-19 is Treated: List of Approved and Promising Drugs

Which drugs have proven effective in treating COVID-19, which ones are still being tested, and which ones turned out to be false hope? The list of potential drugs against SARS-CoV-2 consists of more than a dozen names, but none of them is approved at the global level and is not a universal method of treatment. Edition DW found out what they are currently trying to treat COVID-19 in different countries.

Dexamethasone: effectiveness recognized by WHO

Today “Dexamethasone " Is the only drug that is effective in treating COVID-19 recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)... It is believed to be a corticosteroid agent that reduces mortality in ventilated patients with severe symptoms. WHO and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommend treatment with Dexamethasone for those patients who have severe symptoms for more than seven days in order to prevent a cytokine storm (an uncontrolled attack by the immune system on its own body).

At the same time, it is emphasized that the drug should not be taken at earlier stages of the disease - corticosteroids suppress the reaction of the immune system and can provoke a severe development of the disease.

Bamlanivimab and REGN-COV2 cocktail: US approved, sourced from Germany

Recently, two drugs based on monoclonal antibodies inspire considerable hope for success in the treatment of COVID-19: Bamlanivimab, developed by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, and the REGN-COV2 cocktail, manufactured by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, consisting of two components - casirivimab and imdevimab ... Both were still in the fall of last year approved in the USA for emergency use in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms at risk of becoming severe. The drug REGN-COV2 was used in the treatment of COVID-19 by the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

These funds have not yet been certified in the EU, however, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said on January 24 that the government had purchased 200 doses of both drugs to treat patients with COVID-19 in university hospitals.

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Both Bamlanivimab and REGN-COV2 act as a passive vaccine: their antibodies bind to the virus at the site where the spike protein attaches to cells and prevent it from entering the body. The most effective use of these drugs is considered at an early stage of the disease, while patients have not yet begun to develop their own antibodies.

As side effects, symptoms characteristic of vaccination may develop: fever, chills, headache, dizziness, sore throat. Clinical trials have not identified serious side effects, but the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that unexpected occurrence of serious effects cannot be completely ruled out, since the drugs are still being studied.

Avigan: apply, but carefully

The Avigan drug with the active substance favilavir was registered in Japan in 2014 as a remedy for influenza and, according to available data, was also effective against RNA viruses. In 2014, it was used in the treatment of Ebola. In 2016, the Japanese government organized the shipment of Avigan to Guinea as an emergency aid to combat the Ebola epidemic.

Before the coronavirus, Avigan in Japan was not a successful competitor to other flu drugs, did not go on the free market, but was produced only by order of the government as a backup in case of a pandemic. Since February 2020, the drug has been used in Japanese clinics to treat patients with coronavirus. According to preliminary results in Japan, which appeared in the press, the drug works well for those with a mild form of COVID-19, but ineffective in severe cases.

The drug is currently approved for the treatment of COVID-19 in China and India. The product is also sold in Russia - under trade name "Avifavir"... Clinical trials show that Avigan relieves symptoms and shortens the duration of illness, but can cause serious side effects such as anaphylactic shock and pneumonia. The remedy is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers, since one of its side effects can be the deformities of newborns.

"Artemisinin": effectiveness has not been definitively proven

About medicinal remedy based on tincture of wormwood spoke after the President of Madagascar Andri Radzuelina announced the effectiveness of the drug Covid Organics in the treatment of COVID-19 in mid-April. Then this event was accompanied by great media hype: other leaders of African countries joined the head of Madagascar, convinced of the effectiveness of this tool.

Wormwood extracts have been used for many years in homeopathy and not only. In particular, the antimalarial drug “Artemisinin” based on wormwood extract has been used to treat malaria for at least 20 years.

Scientists from Algeria conducted a study back in April to determine the effectiveness of antimalarial drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The results showed that Artemisinin was more potent than Hydroxychloroquine.

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Now the effectiveness of wormwood extract and preparations based on it in the treatment of COVID-19 is being tested by scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Potsdam. They concluded that Artemisinin prevents the multiplication of SARS-CoV-2 viruses - at least under in vitro laboratory test conditions (“in vitro”, outside a living organism).

Ivermectin: research encouraging

There is no unequivocal opinion about the effectiveness of the drug "Ivermectin", which is usually used in the treatment of scabies and to fight parasitic worms.

In early January, The Lancet magazine published results of tests of the effectiveness of "Ivermectin" with mild symptoms of coronavirus. Preclinical tests have shown that the drug prevents the development of new SARS-CoV-2 cells, but it is only effective at high concentrations.

Preliminary clinical researchesconducted by scientists from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in a group of 12 volunteers. Scientists hope to continue testing with a larger group of participants.

The Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) also gave a positive assessment of the effectiveness of Ivermectin in the fight against coronavirus. Based on clinical evidence, the FLCCC concludedthat the drug can significantly reduce viral load and accelerate recovery in patients with mild to moderate symptoms. It is hoped that the use of Ivermectin will also help avoid hospitalization and reduce mortality in patients with severe symptoms.

“Ivermectin” has been actively advertised since last year as a means of combating coronavirus in Latin America. However, WHO and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warn against the use of this drug, since its efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 has not yet been fully proven.

Tocilizumab and Sarilumab: controversial drugs

"Tocilizumab" and "Sarilumab" are inhibitors cytokine: peptide molecules that the body produces to fight infection. Both are commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammations.

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There is no conclusive evidence of their effectiveness in the fight against COVID-19: the results of some studies suggest that drugs reduce mortality among patients with severe symptoms, while other studies indicate their ineffectiveness. Nevertheless, the UK government is going to use Tocilizumab and Sarilumab in the near future to treat COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

"Hydroxychloroquine": hope did not come true

At the start of the pandemic, high hopes were pinned on the well-known antimalarial drug "Hydroxychloroquine"... However, they did not materialize - taking this drug did not lead to an improvement in the condition of patients with COVID-19.