Discovery of a new drug that saves the lives of patients from the coronavirus

Medical experts have discovered a drug that reduces the risk of death in people with COVID by up to 20%.

A third drug was discovered during an Oxford University recovery trial to help COVID patients recover at the hospital.

It is the first drug to fight the virus directly, rather than prevent inflammation in the body of a very sick person.

New drug cuts deaths among patients with no Covid antibodies 

This drug, or combination of monoclonal antibodies, has been developed by Regeneron and also works on patients who do not develop antibodies in response to coronavirus disease.

30% of such patients die if left untreated. While this rate is 15% in these patients, which produces an antibody reaction against the virus.

This is very important. What we have discovered we can use as an antiviral treatment," said Sir Martin Landrey, a professor at the Oxford Recovery Trial. In this way, we can reduce the mortality rate of these patients. They do not develop an antibody response to the virus and there is a risk of death in one in three, but this drug can reduce the risk.

The drug is based on a combination of two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, developed in the laboratory, which binds spike proteins in two different parts of the coronavirus to prevent them from entering cells.

Earlier, in small trials in the United States, it was shown to be somewhat useful in people and it was reported that its use at the onset of the disease could reduce the chances of hospitalization by preventing the spread of the disease.

The British trial included 9,785 cohort patients, of whom 30 percent did not have antibodies against the virus, 50 percent had antibodies and the rest were unclear.

The trial reduced the mortality rate of those without antibodies from 30% to 24%, saving the lives of six out of every 100 patients.

Their hospital stay was reduced to 4 days and they were likely to go on a ventilator, but the drug did not affect those who had antibodies.

The researchers said that given the results, antibiotic tests for COVID patients on admission to the hospital could become commonplace shortly so that the new drug could be used accordingly.

Earlier, British trials also discovered the steroid dexamethasone and the arthritis drug tocilizumab, which helps save the lives of COVID-19 patients.

But Sir Peter Horby, another professor of recovery trials, said the new drug could only be available in rich countries.

"Such antibodies are being used in rich countries to treat rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, but they are not available in developing countries," he said.

He said that this new antibody drug is not available in developing countries nor is it sold. But after the trial results, things are expected to change.