A U.S. federally funded clinical trial is testing whether the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir works better against COVID-19 if given with a powerful anti-inflammatory drug.
"Baricitinib is a once-daily oral drug that has been well-tolerated in many studies examining its use in rheumatoid arthritis. It has very few drug interactions, so can [it] be combined with most antivirals such as remdesivir," said Dr. Vincent Marconi, a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Researchers suspect that might be because the antiviral drug does nothing to counter the immune system's extreme reaction to COVID-19 in severe cases -- a wave of intense inflammation that damages organs and contributes to"Remdesivir has a marginal benefit and is getting people better quicker," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Novak's team at UIC just enrolled their first patient in the remdesivir/baricitinib trial, which is being funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and is called the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial, or ACTT.The first phase of ACTT focused on remdesivir alone; now baricitinib will be added to the mix. In the future, the trial might also test combinations of remdesivir with other drugs, Novak said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gupta: Trump should be 'ashamed' pushing untested drug to fight COVID-19'There are studies showing that this is associated with harm. It can cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias,' VinGuptaMD says of hydroxychloroquine, following the president's announcement that he is taking the antimalarial drug.
Read more »
'Hydroxychloroquine is useless': Doctors want drug for autoimmune patients, not COVID-19Patients have been desperate for drugs that can treat or prevent COVID-19 – but experts caution against the approach that President Trump said he is taking.
Read more »
Harvey Weinstein extradition to L.A. to face sex-crime charges delayed due to COVID-19The unlikelihood of immediate extradition became more obvious after Weinstein tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed in isolation in an upstate New York prison.
Read more »
How COVID-19 Has Hit HollywoodAP Global Entertainment and Lifestyles Editor Nekesa Moody joins this episode of “Ground Game” to explain how the entertainment industry is being reshaped by the pandemic, from the launch of drive-in concerts to the possibility of imposing physical distancing measures in movie theaters..
Read more »
Florida's scientist was fired for refusing to 'manipulate' COVID-19 dataThe scientist who created Florida's COVID-19 data portal wasn't just removed from her position, she was fired, she said.
Read more »