GEORGE TOWN – The “Solidarity Trial”, which was launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last year, to test experimental drugs on Covid-19 patients including the one touted by former United States president Donald Trump – hydroxychloroquine, has failed.
Hydroxychloroquine was designed to generally treat malaria.
The trial which involved many WHO member countries including Malaysia had failed the first trial itself and researchers have given up on the process, preferring to move to the second phase now.
The research was headed by Dr Chow Ting Soo, an infectious disease consultant at the Penang General Hospital with a team of 16 infectious disease physicians and pharmacists at hospitals under the Health Ministry.
She revealed the developments of the trial during Penang Youth Development Corporation’s (PYDC) Covid-19 “Sampai Bila Chat” forum, explaining that the team will be adjourning to phase two of the trial soon.
“We used hydroxychloroquine, and it is confirmed that there is no significance in using it for the treatment of Covid-19.
“The same is for Interferon Beta, cytokines with antiviral properties, it was also not successful and Lopinavir/Ritonavir also failed.
“The introduction of the antiviral drug known as Remdesivir was also not successful.
“This drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency Covid-19 treatment. It also did not show evidence that it can prevent Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms from escalating into a severe case of Covid-19,” she said.
In Phase 2, the team will continue looking into a new set of medications that are believed to prevent someone from progressing into a severe case of the infection which resulted in breathing difficulties amid severe lung infections.
The trial aims to collect reliable data and compare the safety and effectiveness of four treatment protocols using different combinations of Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Interferon beta, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine.
In April 2021, Health Director-General Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah assured that the trial will adhere to all safety standards set by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.
“It is a beautiful trial design which involves many countries in one go, this is the first time it crosses international borders, and everybody is working together to try to find a treatment strategy for the Covid-19 disease,” Chow said.
Nine public hospitals in Malaysia are involved in this trial.
They are Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Pulau Pinang Hospital, Sungai Buloh Hospital, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Melaka Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Sarawak General Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. – The Vibes, June 5, 2021
