WHO Says Looking at Interim Trial Data on HIV Drugs to Treat COVID-19 WHO Says Looking at Interim Trial Data on HIV Drugs to Treat COVID-19
Large multi-country trials of the combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir to treat COVID-19 have recruited thousands of patients and WHO is now looking at interim data, the UN agency ' s chief scientist said on Thursday.Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines)
Source: Medscape Critical Care Headlines - June 19, 2020 Category: Intensive Care Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news

WHO testing interim data from COVID-19 trial on HIV drugs
The World Health Organization is looking at interim data from its large multi-country trial of the combination of HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir to treat COVID-19 patients, the UN agency's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Thursday. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - June 18, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news

U.K. Researchers Say They Have Found First Drug that Improves COVID-19 Survival
Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival: A steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients. Results were announced Tuesday and researchers said they would publish them soon. The study is a large, strict test that randomly assigned 2,104 patients to get the drug and compared them with 4,321 patients getting only usual care. The drug was given either orally or through an IV. It reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those only needing supplemental oxygen. It did ...
Source: TIME: Science - June 16, 2020 Category: Science Authors: MARILYNN MARCHIONE /AP Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news

The Curious Case of Covid-19 in Africa
Eunice G. Kamwendo is an Economist and Strategic Advisor with UNDP Africa in New York. Chaltu Daniel Kalbessa is a UNDP Fellow and Strategic Analyst with UNDP Africa in New York.By Eunice G. Kamwendo and Chaltu Daniel KalbessaNEW YORK, Jun 3 2020 (IPS) With very weak health systems and overall capacity constraints to effectively respond to the deadly coronavirus disease, Africa’s fate against the invisible enemy, was going to be nothing short of catastrophic according to early predictions. Although Africa is yet to reach its peak, many countries are not seeing the exponential growth in case numbers, or in mortality rates...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - June 3, 2020 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Eunice G. Kamwendo and Chaltu Daniel Kalbessa Tags: Africa Aid Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news

Nigeria: What Was Learned in Review of Country's First 32 COVID-19 Cases
[Premium Times] Almost 97 per cent of the first set of COVID-19 patients in Lagos State were treated with lopinavir-ritonavir with no recorded death, a new report has shown. (Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine)
Source: AllAfrica News: Health and Medicine - May 20, 2020 Category: African Health Source Type: news

Long-term Safety and Efficacy of OBV/PTV/r + DSV in HCV Long-term Safety and Efficacy of OBV/PTV/r + DSV in HCV
This study reports on the long-term liver disease-associated outcomes for a DAA regimen consisting of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir plus dasabuvir +/- ribavirin for the treatment of chronic HCV.Journal of Viral Hepatitis (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - May 14, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Gastroenterology Journal Article Source Type: news

India to test four drugs as part of WHO trial
Potential anti-viral agents remdesivir, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir-ritonavir and lopinavir-ritonavir with interferon will be evaluated as part of the trial, the Indian Council of Medical Research said on Wednesday. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - May 13, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news

India to test four drugs for Covid-19 as part of the WHO solidarity trial
On Wednesday the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced that potential anti-viral agents, Remdesivir, Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir-Ritonavir and Lopinavir-Ritonavir with Interferon ( ß1a) will be evaluated as part of the solidarity trial. (Source: The Economic Times)
Source: The Economic Times - May 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

COVID-19 news from Annals of Internal Medicine
(American College of Physicians) Pharmacokinetics of Lopinavir and Ritonavir in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - May 12, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news

Triple Antiviral Combo Speeds COVID-19 Recovery Triple Antiviral Combo Speeds COVID-19 Recovery
The combination of lopinavir/ritonavir and ribavirin shortened median time to COVID-19 viral negativity by 5 days, according to results of an open-label, randomized phase 2 trial out of Hong Kong.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines)
Source: Medscape Pharmacist Headlines - May 11, 2020 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news

Triple Antiviral Combo May Speed COVID-19 Recovery Triple Antiviral Combo May Speed COVID-19 Recovery
The combination of interferon-beta1, lopinavir/ritonavir, and ribavirin shortened median time to COVID-19 viral negativity by 5 days, according to results of an open-label, randomized phase 2 trial.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines)
Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines - May 11, 2020 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news

Triple Antiviral Therapy Promising for Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19
MONDAY, May 11, 2020 -- For patients with COVID-19, early triple antiviral therapy (lopinavir-ritonavir, ribavirin, and interferon beta-1b) is better than lopinavir-ritonavir for reducing the time to providing a nasopharyngeal swab negative for... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)
Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News - May 11, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news

New triple antiviral drug combination shows early promise for treating COVID-19 in phase 2 randomized trial
A two-week course of antiviral therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin, started within 7 days of showing COVID-19 symptoms, is safe and more effective at reducing the duration of viral shedding than lopinavir-ritonavir alone in patients with mild to moderate illness, according to the first randomised trial of this triple combination therapy involving 127 adults (aged 18 and older) from six public hospitals in Hong Kong. (Source: World Pharma News)
Source: World Pharma News - May 11, 2020 Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: Featured Research Research and Development Source Type: news

Combination of HIV, hepatitis C, MS drugs might resolve COVID-19 infection
Combination therapy with interferon beta-1b plus lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin appears to improve symptoms and shorten hospital stays for people with mild to moderate COVID-19. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)
Source: Health News - UPI.com - May 8, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Antiviral Trio Shows Mettle Against COVID-19
FRIDAY, May 8, 2020 -- A triple whammy of three antiviral drugs shows promise in fighting mild to moderate COVID-19, a new, small study suggests. Two weeks of interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir and ribavirin -- along with standard care -- was... (Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews)
Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews - May 8, 2020 Category: General Medicine Source Type: news