An exploratory study led by centers in Catalonia and Galicia has proposed a new medication to treat patients with mild covid-19 symptomsa pioneering solution that, if the results were confirmed, could be administered orally in primary care centers.
The Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the Pere Virgili Health Park in Barcelona, the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela and the University Clinical Hospital of Santiago, among others, have collaborated in the work.
As explained by its promoters this Tuesday, the study has been tested in patients of covid-19 a new drug developed by the pharmaceutical company Esteve, E-52862, and acts inside the cells on a basic factor in the initiation of the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The trial, published in the journal ‘Journal of Infection’, has had 120 volunteersall with a mild positive diagnosis of covid-19, who have been divided into two groups, to compare the effects of the drug in some with the contrast of the evolution without drug in the rest.
The results indicate that, although a decrease in viral load cannot be demonstrated compared to patients in the contrast group, it is observed that some of the most common symptoms are rapidly reduced after taking the medication, such as headache, cough or sore throat.
“Covid-19 is a pathology that will not go away and will continue with us, both in summer and winter. Therefore, having a drug that is part of our lives is very good news,” explained Dr. Santi Grau, director of the Medicine Area of Hospital del Mar, first signatory of the study.
For her part, Dr. Mabel Loza, principal researcher of the Biopharma group of the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, has highlighted that the trial represents a milestone in Spain, since it is “the first drug created in the country for oral delivery for covid-19”.
The main author of the research, Dr. Jordi Monfort from Hospital del Mar, added that “the purpose of the work was to treat patients who begin with Covid-19 with mild symptoms to prevent them from getting worse and needing hospital care.”
“The importance of E-52862 is that, currently, there is almost no medication capable of being easily administered in primary care and that reduces possible severe cases of Covid-19 disease to avoid greater pressure on the system. of health”, Monfort stressed.
Los researchers of the project have highlighted that the drug represents a new mechanism of action to treat covid-19, which could also be useful for other viral infections.
The study has been funded by the State Innovation Agency of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Xunta de Galícia, the Carlos III Health Institute, or the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund. (Feder) and Next Generation, as well as the partial contribution of the company Esteve Pharmaceuticals.
2023-12-19 07:34:35
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