StemCell Therapy

Fortunately, many viruses produce an enzyme called an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Nearly a decade ago, the pharmaceutical company Gilead began work on a drug called Remdesivir to target the enzyme. It was the first drug rolled out to NHS patients last May, and clinical trials have shown it helps patients get out of hospital four days earlier.

There is also hope that influenza antivirals such as favipiravir and molnupiravir could be repurposed in the fight against coronavirus, with small trials showing they improve lung function. Large trials are under way.

One clever antiviral treatment in the pipeline is called Recombinant ACE-2. Scientists have shown they can deploy artificial ACE-2 proteins as decoys, thereby luring the virus away from real cells. However, it has yet to be proven in animals or humans.

Drugs which boost the immune system also look promising. Scientists are testing whether the blood plasma of recovered patients could improve survival rates. Last week, a large trial by Oxford shows that blood plasma does not prevent death in seriously ill patients, but the team is waiting to see if it benefited certain sub-groups.

Synthetic antibodies are also giving hope. Scientists look for people who have mounted a strong response to coronavirus then artificially replicate their immune proteins.

Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab has been shown to reduce people's risk of being hospitalised by 72 per cent and is under review by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Regeneron's antibody cocktail reduced trips to the hospital by 57 per cent. Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "They are the first anti-viral drugs that demonstrably work in the first phase of the disease, just after the virus has infected someone but before it has had time to cause a lot of damage."

Another way of boosting immunity is to give synthetic interferons, which boost the immune system while also keeping it in check. Last year, British pharma company Synairgen published results showing interferon "SNG001" lowered the risk of severe Covid-19.

See the original post here:
In the war against Covid, an arsenal of drugs is on the way - Telegraph.co.uk

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