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).
Oh really? Then why are so many people dying everyday, nearly a thousand and Italy each day. Are they combining hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin in zinc? I really doubt them
Ya, it was sort of a rhetorical question.
I guess if you get to the point that you’ve got to have it, you gotta have it.
Let’s just hope not too many people gotta have it.
At least we all know “plaque” from our dental hygienists and toothpaste tubes.
Appreciate the great article.
TEN years and its in FDA Stage 3 trials? Is that right ?
This is about making someone a lot of money not about the most cost-effective treatment.
The entry for this drug in my Nurse’s Drug Handbook is fascinating. It basically outlines risk for tuberculosis and other upper respiratory tract infections.
So, that’s interesting.
They are basically saying that coronavirus’s propensity to make your immune system overreact is so severe, that it is more helpful to give an immunomodulator (official class of drug) and risk OTHER infection than to let coronavirus reactions pop your alveoli.
Spanish flu was around for more than one year. In fact, the first year it came around wasn’t even the pandemic year. The second and third years of the disease had higher fatalities than the first.
Excellent video.
That is hysterical!
TCR’s and immune checkpoints are all the rage today in immunotherapy. There are so many dials and switches on T cells that control their activity... it seems every so often they discover a new one. If a ~mab for a checkpoint shows promise in mice then it’s onto a phase zero trial on humans. Breathtaking amount of activity in this area.
I believe base on my Google-fu that the price per does is around $350
Still cheaper than a week on the ventilator.
Let’s just hope we have enough for the people who might need it.
Both are being used on same pts btw. Toci because it helps at preventing cytokine release syndrome (it’s used for that in some cancer therapy) and hydroxychloroquine because it may have antiviral activitity as well. Not mutually exclusive.
Officially Hydroxychloroquine is only in clinical trials also. That does not mean other doctors aren’t using it off label but officially it is a clinical trial. It is important to try multiple drugs because some patients may not respond to some or may be allergic.
Years ago I was a member of a team given the task of coming up with a name for a new pharmaceutical the company had just produced. Names that came too close to reality were thrown out. Thus, we came up with a doozy that still is around.
If it end in -ab it’s a monoclonal antibody. -vir is anti viral.
Yeah, this story is great!
Except for the minor detail about the math:(!
the article says the did not find hydroxychloroquine particularly effectiveness i don’t know where you get 100% effective. currently this drug is not widely available
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