Posted on 03/30/2020 10:53:40 PM PDT by aquila48
For the past two weeks now, we’ve been talking about hydroxychloroquine as the wonder drug in the fight against the deadly coronavirus. Two anti-malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients after controlled clinical study conducted by doctors in France shows that a combo of Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin (Z-Pak) cures 100% of coronavirus patients within 6 days of treatment.
However, according to doctors treating coronovirus patients in Italy, Tolicizumab, a drug used to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, has been shown to be more effective than hydroxychloroquine. Tolicizumab is so effective that the FDA gives green lights to Phase III Tocilizumab Trial for COVID-19 pneumonia. In a related report, Italian doctors said that a 101-year-old Italian man who survived the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and World War II, recovered from COVID-19.
In another report, scientists claim Tocilizumab has been shown to help cure 95 percent of critically ill coronavirus patients in China. Tocilizumab, which is marketed as Actemra, is taken by patients with rheumatoid arthritis to reduce inflammation. Chinese doctors gave it to 20 patients during the peak of of coronavirus epidemic. Nineteen of the patients were discharged within 14 days despite being critically ill. Actemra has now been approved for use in China and for trials in the US
In response to a question from another doctor on hydroxychloroquine, Dr. Giusppe Galati, an Italian doctor, said in a tweet: “Dear @DrLuizSilva1 despite the large noise on social media. Here in Flag of Italy they are trying several combinations of antiviral included the combination HCQ + azithro. Infectivologist refer little benefit. The unique drug which is causing impressive improvement is #Tolicizumab.”
Tocilizumab, also known as atlizumab, is an immunosuppressive drug, mainly for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a severe form of arthritis in children. It is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R).
I don’t know about toclizumab specifically, but “biologicals” (monoclonals that attack certain phases of the immune response, hence the -mab suffix) are expensive and produced in low volumes as Rx for rare diseases.
With regard to COVID, this agent would be useful for end-stage cytokine storm, and probably not otherwise.
The “-mab” suffix designates a monoclonal antibody.
Hi, Chris..you are correct. There IS a naming protocol. For 10 years I was a clinical trial coordinator. The first study I worked on was an “mab”..monoclonal antibody. I actually did find the breakdown of how the rest of the name was put together. Maybe I’ll try to find it again. It was very interesting. This drug mentioned is a monoclonal antibody. It has been a few years since I went to all the meetings explaining how they work: lots of T-cell receptor talk. :).
The Panexa ad has been around about 20 years.
Excellent interview! Thanks.
According to this Doctor, it’s the zink that does the killing of the virus. HCQ is just a conduit.
Zinc.
Another immune response inhibitor. Seems less about treating the virus then moderation of the immune response
Cost. Pharma is looking at a big cost vs a big pay day
Follow the money. Generally there are a few insiders who have vested financial gains interests in bringing a drug to the forefront.
Follow the money. Generally there are a few insiders who have vested financial gains interests in bringing a drug to the forefront.
Follow the money. Generally there are a few insiders who have vested financial gains interests in bringing a drug to the forefront.
In this case, it’s Roche. The Swiss pharma giant Trump was praising yesterday for their quick production of a testing improvement.
My husband is on one of the “mab” immunotherapy drugs designed specifically to treat stage 3 lung cancer.
Fauci will shoot it down in 3, 2, ...
I bet Tmab is orders of magnitude more expensive than hcq. Follow the money.
It’s very possible it is, the immune systems agressive response is what is killing people, things that suppress that response are likely to help people survive.
It’s interesting that both are used to fight the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.
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