Three new candidate drugs are being tested in the latest phase of global Solidarity clinical trials to find effective treatments against COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday.
The therapies; artesunate, imatinib and infliximab will be tested on hospitalized COVID-19 patients in 52 countries under the Solidarity PLUS programme. Artesunate is a medicine for severe malaria, imatinib is used for certain cancers, including leukaemia, while infliximab is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases of the immune system.
The three drugs were selected by an independent panel for their potential in reducing the risk of death in people hospitalized for COVID-19. The announcement came at a time when cases of the disease recorded globally hit 203 million, just six months after hitting the 100 million mark.
Speaking during a press conference in Geneva, the head of the WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underscored the critical need to find more effective and accessible COVID-19 therapeutics.
“We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat COVID-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers. But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical spectrum, from mild to severe disease. And we need health workers that are trained to use them in a safe environment,” he said.
Solidarity PLUS is the largest global collaboration among WHO’s 194 Member States, with thousands of researchers in over 600 hospitals participating. Finland is among the 52 countries taking part, 16 more than the initial Solidarity Trial, and contributes to the COVAX vaccine solidarity initiative. Two university hospitals there have been the first worldwide to begin the second phase. Manufacturers Ipca, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson donated the drugs for the trial.
Four drugs were evaluated under the initial Solidarity Trial last year, which showed that remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon had little or no effect on hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Final results are expected next month.
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