Thought of the Day - January 26 - Therapeutics

Now the public is realizing that getting a vaccine is still six months away for most, and with a potential third-wave coming in March, attention has turned back to therapeutics. Rather than the massive research efforts that dominated the agenda of pharma companies and public coffers in 2020, the focus is looking at low-cost therapeutics that can be rapidly deployed.

First, Canadian scientists say blood thinners appear to prevent COVID-19 patients with moderate illness from deteriorating further. Interim results of global trials showed Heparin reduced the probability of requiring life support by about a third. The study involved more than 1,300 moderately ill patients admitted to hospital, including hundreds of people admitted to hospitals across Canada. "Heparin is already cheap, widely available, and available in low and middle-income countries, as well as countries like Canada and the United States." University Health Network scientist, and critical care physician at Toronto General Hospital Ewan Goligher said Friday.

Second, the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) announced today that a trial has provided clinically persuasive results of Colchicine’s efficacy to treat COVID-19; reducing by 21% the risk of death or hospitalizations in patients with COVID-19 compared to placebo. Colchicine reduced hospitalizations by 25%, the need for mechanical ventilation by 50%, and deaths by 44%. “Our research shows the efficacy of colchicine treatment in preventing the ‘cytokine storm’" said Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the MHI Research Center, Professor of Medicine at the Université de Montréal and Principal Investigator of the trial.

As we have seen before with treatments like: Ivermectin, HCQ, Vitamin-D, Zinc, Remdisivir etc. early trial data either turned out to be flawed or, when there is no money to be made from the treatments, trials are not followed up ( Thought of the Day - October 16 - COVID-19 Clinical Treatment ). Let's hope one of these can be adopted for therapeutic use in Canada, as the list of options we use here is still very thin.

Source: BC CDC

Cheers

Cliff