There is a glimmer of light for all who fear the new Coronavirus: American and Chinese researchers are testing a drug to help patients who are severely ill. Still, there is no substance which has been specifically against the new Virus will develop, because that takes years. However, scientists have access to existing medicines and to test whether they help in the fight against the Virus.

A promising candidate for the drug Remdesivir that has in individual cases already cast is. The researchers of the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences have originally developed against Ebola. Remdesivir a sneaks into the mechanism, the so-called RNA viruses on the reproduction use, and to interfere with this. Both of the Ebola - like Coronavirus belong to the RNA viruses. In a recent study, decrypted by canadian virologists, such as Remdesivir acts. They were confident that the substance against the disease Covid-19, which is triggered by the Virus Sars-CoV-2, could actually help.

Also in the case of a patient in Seattle, points in this direction. The 35-year-old man reported on April 19. January in the emergency room. He suffered to this point in time, already four days with a fever, Nausea and a dry cough and had returned some days before from the Chinese city of Wuhan. The hospital treated the patient in an isolation room. On the fifth day his condition deteriorated. Both lungs were inflamed, the man needed oxygen. The Doctors turned to the U.S. health authorities and got permission to test Remdesivir. Already after a single dose of the condition of man was improved the next day.

studies in China and the United States

individual cases in medicine meaningful. No one knows whether the young Patient would have stabilized without the medication again. For this reason, the international studies, two in China and one in the US now. 400 patients with severe forms of the disease will participate in the US study. First results want to publish, the researchers already at the beginning of April. Also, the manufacturer even notified on Tuesday, two additional efficacy studies to Covid-19.

And what of Switzerland? Could benefit diseased here, too, of the not-yet-approved drug? "We could make Remdesivir for individual use in severe cases," says Nuriye Vanggaard, a spokesperson for Gilead Sciences.

It is also anti-HIV drugs, and
rheumatism be tested.

legally there would be no obstacles to the drug in Switzerland. With the Revision of the law on Therapeutic products a year ago, the special account for grants to country non-approved substances. "If an authority has admitted in a country with a comparable control system, the drug for a study, can import Doctors for a particular patient," says Lukas Jaggi, the Swiss Supervisory authority Swissmedic. Because one of the studies in the United States is running, this condition is met in the case of Remdesivir. In addition, the US has to get a study also has an international focus. "We are also planning hospitals in other countries in our study," said Andre Kalil, infectious disease Loge at the University of Nebraska and coordinator of the US study.

Should be Remdesivir actually effective, would be decisive whether Gilead can to meet demand. At the Moment, the company uses, according to Vanggaard, in stock, made in the context of the Ebola epidemic. However, the production is now running again. Gilead Sciences has developed Remdesivir originally against the Ebola virus. It was in a large study against Ebola, but below expectations, which doesn't mean that it might not be against the new Coronavirus successful.

What showed against Ebola, Mers and Sars is successful, beat the Lancet in front of researchers in the specialist magazine "" now also as a further strategy in Covid-19: seriously ill you could be treated with blood plasma from people who have survived the disease successfully. The antibodies of the Convalescent would help the immune system of the new infections are among.

Two variants of the Virus?

In China, have tested, scientists at the National Biotech Group, this method according to their own information, successfully in some severely ill patients. "This is a serious, important approach," said Manuel Battegay, chief physician of infectious diseases and hospital hygiene at the University hospital Basel. You should start with a such treatment in patients who are severely ill as early as possible, advises Battegay. It also studies on Sars point. Norwegian researchers have sought last week in an analysis of the literature to other substances, and verified 120 already approved drugs, the use of Doctors against viruses. Including the two HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir. To run these two products studies in Hong Kong and Guangdong already. Also, the anti-inflammatory drug Actemra, the Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche want to test Chinese researchers. It is intended to reduce the inflammatory reactions.

at The Moment, new studies appear daily to the Coronavirus. Many of them have not yet gone through the usual testing procedures. For excitement of a Chinese study in which the researchers discuss the possibility that the Coronavirus kursiere in two different versions provided: The L-line is the more aggressive variant than the S-line. The theory of the researchers: To start to be the more aggressive L-type more often occurred, especially in the heavily affected Wuhan. Due to the quarantine measures taken by the Chinese authorities of the L had been pushed back type, however, and the more benign S-type have been successful. The study is based only to 100 cases. Whether the theory is true, will only show large-area analyses.

employee: Nik, Walter

Created: 04.03.2020, 20:39 PM