Two years after the first SARS-CoV-2 cases in Austria, there is still room for improvement in the treatment of infected people. That said the clinical pharmacologist Markus Zeitlinger. There is “room for improvement” in the effectiveness of the drugs and the ease of administration.
Another problem is “that you have to give them early”. The doctor from MedUni Vienna not only expects improvements in drug treatment, but also in vaccinations.
Cortisone, Dexamethasone: Cortisone can save lives in severe cases by slowing down the inflammatory reaction, but it cannot be used early because it does not have an antiviral effect.
Remdesivir, Molnupiravir: So-called “repurposing” drugs were actually developed for other diseases. Remdesivir and molnupiravir, originally tested against Ebola or the flu, have been shown to be effective against Covid-19. However, many other such drugs have proven ineffective: for example hydroxychloroquine (against malaria) and ivermectin (dewormer for horses), which have no therapeutic value in the context of Covid-19.
Paxlovid: The combination drug should be available in Austria soon. “We’re not talking about miracle cures here,” emphasized the internist. Among other things, there is the problem of drug interactions, which means that it is of limited use in some patients who need it most.
Sotrovimab, Tixagevimab/Cilgavimab: Of the so-called monoclonal antibody drugs, these are the only ones that show an effect on Omikron. Many of the other antibodies have no therapeutic value for the current variants.
“With all these drugs, we found out: the sooner, the better,” says Zeitlinger. With the oral agents molnupiravir and paxlovid, the big challenge is to make it clear to infected people who are not yet seriously ill that they have to take a “decent amount of tablets”, even though they are still doing relatively well at this point.
New vaccine
The vaccine Novavax, which will be delivered starting next week, is intended to appeal to those who have not previously wanted to be vaccinated. Manufacturers are striving for approval for the fourth stitch. Vaccines adapted to Omicron will probably come in the second quarter.
Vaccines will come out in the fall that offer protection against omicron and the other variants. Vaccines are also expected that target other targets of the virus, such as the nucleocapsid, and remain more effective against mutations.
Source: Nachrichten
