Скачать или смотреть Post Trials data, ICMR needs to revise Covid-19 drug regimen | India News - Times of India

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MUMBAI: Results of the global `Solidarity Trial which declared the widely-prescribed anti-viral drug, Remdesivirineffective for saving lives or shortening duration of hospital stay, will lead to curbing its indiscriminate use for Covid-19 patients in India. With interim results of the largest global trial by the World Health Organisationpublished on Thursday, there is now a need for a fresh treatment protocol by the apex medical body, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), explaining the effectiveness of drugs being used, doctors told TOI. The results of the Solidarity Trial conducted on over 11,000 hospitalised patients in 30 countries found Remdesivir, along with three other `repurposed drugs Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir and Interferon to have little or no effect on 28-day mortality. Of these, Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquinehave been used widely for routine Covid-19 treatment in India, with both being used indiscriminately. Worse, since Remdesivir is an expensive drug and hit the limelight as a life-saving therapy for moderate to severe Covid-19 patients, it witnessed price gouging and huge shortages across the country. ``The use of Remdesivir will get curtailed, and the perception that its life-saving will be removed now. I feel the drug should be used early, in the first nine days of the illness, for the benefit of a faster recovery, Dr Shashank Joshi member, Maharashtras Covid-19 task force told TOI, adding, treatment (for the virus) is highly individualised, with early diagnosis and prompt treatment, being key. Its the end of the road for Lopinavir, while there is need for (Indian) data for HCQ and it needs validation, he said. HCQ has been unfairly beaten out, according to him, since the dose used in the Trial was toxic and too high. Drug Interferon still holds promise if Pegylated Interferon is used in mild to moderate cases, if used early in the disease. The price of Remdesivir ranges from Rs 2,900-5,400 per dose,