New Delhi: As scientists' community across the world are still clueless about the possible treatment procedure for the life-taking coronavirus, a group of scientists have identified six drugs as the potential solution to treat COVID-19 patients.
Till no new vaccine is developed, the medical researchers are banking upon treating suitability of drugs like EIDD-2801, Favipiravir (Avigan), Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Remdesivir, Losartan and Actemra which have shown positive response on patients affected by the virus.
According to the findings of Science Translation Medicine journal, EIDD-2801 medicine has been found successful in bringing down the viral load in patients infected with
coronavirus. It's an anti-viral drug which was developed to tackle SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. As per the journal, the medicine has controlled the infection level in COVID-19 positive patients.
Favipiravir, which is commonly known as Avigan drug, was found effective in controlling the coronavirus. According to Live Science journal, the Japanese drug was found helpful in boosting the working capacity of lungs and reducing SARS-CoV-2 infection level.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which was used in the treatment of malaria, arthritis, lupus, has been found effective in treating SARS-CoV virus. Since, there are several similarities in the virus of corona with SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, so researchers believe that HCQ may help in controlling the spread of the virus in human cells.
Though Remdesivir, which was developed to combat the Ebola spread, failed in its primary objective, but studies find that the drug is effective in preventing the growth of SARS and MERS virus in human bodies.
Losartan, which is used in managing blood pressure, has been found in reducing the effect of cytokine storm in COVID-19 infected patients that helps in saving the patient from multiple organ failure eventualities.
In response to a question on the efficacy of a vaccine developed by a group of scientists at Oxford University, ICMR's senior scientist, Raman Ganngakhedkar said, "As we have said that 70 different groups are working on the vaccine for the virus and this is one group. There are also four more groups, who have entered the human phase after passing the tests on animals. We all need to stay optimistic as if it gets success, we all will have the benefit of this," he said.