More options for treating Covid

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended two new drugs for the Coronavirus (Covid-19), providing yet more options for treating the virus.
It said in a statement on Friday that the extent to which these medicines would save lives depended on how widely available and affordable they would be.
The first drug Baricitinib is recommended for patients with severe or critical Covid-19.
It is part of a class of drugs called Janus kinase inhibitors that suppress the over-stimulation of the immune system.
Baricitinib is an oral drug, used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
It provides an alternative to other arthritis drugs called Interleukin-6 receptor blockers, recommended by the WHO last July.
The WHO also recommended the use of a monoclonal antibody drug Sotrovimab, for treating mild or moderate Covid-19 in patients who are at high risk of hospitalisation.
This includes patients who are older, immunocompromised, having underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, including those unvaccinated.
Sotrovimab is an alternative to casirivimab-imdevimab, a monoclonal antibody cocktail recommended by the WHO last September 2021. Studies are ongoing on the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies against Omicron, but, early laboratory studies show that sotrovimab retains its activity.
The panel of experts developing the guidelines also looked at two other drugs for severe and critical Covid-19: ruxolitinib and tofacitinib.
Given their uncertain effects, the WHO made a conditional recommendation against their use.
Last Friday’s recommendations, forming the eighth update of the WHO’s living guidelines on therapeutics and the Covid-19, are based on evidence from seven trials involving over 4,000 patients with non-severe, severe and critical Covid-19.
The WHO is in discussions with manufacturers to secure global supply capacity and equitable and sustainable access to the newly recommended therapeutics.