November 10, 2021

A new antiviral treatment for Covid-19, given as a pill, reduces the risk of death by 89%, data show. The new drug, developed by Pfizer, is the most effective Covid treatment in pill form so far.

Antiviral Covid treatments until now have mostly been given intravenously, in a hospital or similar medical setting. Effective treatments in pill form could greatly improve the ease and cost of providing treatment for Covid patients.

Merck recently announced an antiviral pill, called Molunpiravir, which is 50% effective in reducing death and hospitalization. The new drug from Pfizer, to be sold under the name Paxlovid, appears to be even more effective. The new drug should be given within a few days of infection and first symptoms of Covid to maximize the chance of successful treatment.

The drug's trial was so effective that an outside review board stopped the trial early so that Pfizer can quickly seek approval and let a wider population enjoy the benefits. The data from the trial showed the drug to be even more effective than Pfizer scientists expected.

Covid treatments could supplement Covid vaccines to control the pandemic. If people are vaccinated as a first line of defence, then the treatments could be used in the remaining cases of breakthrough infections that still occassionally occur in vaccinated people.

October 1, 2021

In a potentially major breakthrough in the treatment of Covid-19, pharmaceutical giant Merck announced that its new antiviral drug - delivered as a pill - dramatically reduced the chance of hospitalization by Covid patients. The new drug is the first antiviral treatment that can be taken orally by the patient at home, instead of being given intravenously at a medical facility.

The patient takes the new drug, known as molnupiravir, as a series of pills over five days. It is thought to be most effective when given soon after infection by the virus that causes Covid-19. The drug interferes with the virus' ability to replicate.

The trial, including over 1,000 Covid patients, was stopped early when the strongly positive results were seen, in order to pursue quick approval so that the drug can benefit many more patients. The drug reduced the risk of hospitalization by around 50% in the trial.

Merck is submitting the data from the trial to the U.S. FDA, which could approve use of the new drug within a month or two. Merck will also be submitting the data to agencies in other countries, to hopefully roll out this new treatment globally.

The potential for widespread access to an oral treatment for Covid would greatly improve the treatment prospects for those who come down with Covid. This potential impact is the reason that Merck named the drug, molnupiravir, after Mjollnir, the hammer of the Norse god Thor.

June 22, 2021

An antibody therapy called Regen-Cov has been shown to increase survival by 20% among patients with severe cases of Covid-19, according to a study done in the U.K. The patients in the study were unable to produce sufficient antibodies to ward off the disease naturally, making them especially at risk of dying of Covid.

Regen-Cov is made of two types of monoclonal antibodies, manufactured versions of antibodies that are naturally produced in a healthy immune system. These antibodies bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, preventing them from infecting cells.

The drug has been approved for use in the U.S., the E.U., and Brazil. It is made by Regeneron, an American biotech company.

In addition to reducing the risk of death from severe Covid, Regen-Cov also reduced the time that Covid patients spend in the hospital by four days, on average.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is a relatively new area of medicine, and such antibodies are fairly expensive to manufacture. But the success of Regen-Cov is likely to inspire more investment, and improvement, in the production of these new treatments.

June 4, 2021

The FDA approved a new monoclonal antibody drug that has been shown effective in lab tests against most of the Covid virus variants of recent concern. The tests found the drug, Sotrovimab, effective against the variants found in Britain, South Africa, Brazil, and India.

The drug, from a partnership of GlaxoSmithKline and Vir, is the third monoclonal antibody treatment to be approved in the U.S. The other two are from Regeneron and Eli Lilly. There has been some concern that the Lilly drug may not be as effective against the Brazil and South Africa variants.

The new drug supplies antibodies similar to those produced by the body when fighting off SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

In a clinical study of about 600 Covid patients, Sotrovimab reduced the chance of hospitalization or death by 85%. Although vaccination is reducing the overall numbers of Covid patients, treatments are still needed for the remaining cases of Covid-19.

The antibody treatments are given intravenously, but researchers hope to develop easier methods of delivery, such as by giving a shot in the arm, like a vaccine.

May 17, 2021

Scientists have discovered that Remdesivir, a drug approved for Covid-19 treatment, becomes as much as ten times more effective when paired with certain Hepatitis C drugs. The discovery could be a breakthrough for the treatment of Covid patients.

Remdesivir was the first drug approved for treating Covid-19, but it has not always been as effective as hoped for. So researchers have been searching for combination therapies to improve its effectiveness.

The new work started with scientists from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), who modeled various Remdesivir combinations on a supercomputer. They predicted benefits from using several anti-HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) drugs.

Scientists at Mount Sinai School of Medicine then performed lab experiments to see how Remdesivir in combination with the other drugs affected the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Four of the drugs blocked replication up to ten times more than Remdisivir on its own.

These results will be followed up by clinical trials on Covid patients. Such trials should be able to start relatively quickly, since both Remdesivir and several of the HCV drugs have already been approved for use.

April 5, 2021

Pharma giant Merck announced results from a Phase 2 trial of a new antiviral drug that can fight Covid and similar illnesses. The results show that the drug, named Molnupiravir, helps the body recover quickly from the coronavirus infection. Importantly, the new drug can be taken orally, as a pill, rather than requiring an intravenous infusion.

Molnupiravir was originally created over a decade ago to fight SARS, an illness caused by a coronavirus that shares many similarities with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. It couild work against several types of coronavirus and other RNA-based viruses.

The drug interferes with the ability of the virus to reproduce inside a cell. Its presence causes errors when the virus tries to make copies of itself. If the virus cannot replicate efficiently, it is unlikely to spread and interfere with normal body processes.

In the trial, about 200 people who tested positive for Covid were given a pill, containing either Molnupiravir or a placebo. Both groups were then tested for Covid at later times. Within 5 days, all those who received the drug were testing negative for Covid.

If a person who tests positive for Covid could be given a pill that allows him to recover before being hospitalized, the burden of Covid on the health care system would be greatly relieved.

A larger trial will follow.

March 18, 2021

New research shows that ultrasound waves - of the type used in medical imaging - can physically destroy the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Although preliminary and based on simulations, the results could lead to new treatments for Covid using existing ultrasound equipment.

The study found that the physical structure of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, will collapse after less than a second of exposure to ultrasound waves in the 25 to 100 megahertz frequency range.

The vibrations induced by the ultrasound cause the virus particles to vibrate strongly, enough to damage the outer shell of the virus. The vibrations may also damage the genetic material inside the virus, although this has not yet been confirmed. An ultrasound treatment would work regardless of any mutations in the RNA of the virus.

As scientists over time gain understanding of the physical characteristics of the virus, new treatment can be designed to interfere with the functioning of the virus. Knowledge of the structural and material properties of the coronavirus is still fairly elementary.

The research was done in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT (The Massachusettes Institute of Technology).

January 20, 2021

An international trial has found that two arthritis drugs are effective at helping patients with severe cases of Covid-19, both reducing mortality rates and speeding recovery times.

The two drugs, tocilizumab and sarilumab, were given to patients soon after they were admitted to an ICU. Patients given either of the two drugs were about 25% less likely to die compared to Covid ICU patients given neither of them. The drugs also reduced the length of hospital stays by over a week, on average.

Both drugs are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They are antibodies that reduce the effects of a protein called interleukin-6, a substance that stimulates inflammation. Since over-inflammation can be a fatal effect in Covid-19 patients, anti-inflammatory drugs such as these have been sought as Covid treatments.

The test was part of an international effort called REMAP-CAP, which conducts trials to help fight infectious diseases. There were about 800 Covid patients in the trial.

In the U.K., the National Health Service (NHS) said it would start giving tocilizumab routinely to Covid patients who enter an ICU due to these results.

November 23, 2020

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly's antibody treatment for Covid-19 patients. Earlier studies have shown that it can help people avoid being hospitalized for Covid, if they are given the drug soon after being infected with the coronavirus,

As a result of the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the drug will likely be given to people considered at risk for a severe case of Covid-19, such as those over 65, or with other risk factors.

Lilly's drug, known as bamlanivimab, is a type known as a monoclonal antibody - an antibody produced naturally by the immune system to fight Covid, but manufactured using advanced techniques.

Lilly had previously announced that the U.S. government has placed a large order for 300,000 doses of the medicine. The company is ramping up production and expects to be able to treat one million people by the end of 2020.

The company is also working on a new treatment that is based on two different antibodies delivered together, which it hopes could be even more effective.

October 25, 2020

The U.S. FDA has officially approved remdesivir for treatment of Covid-19. It is the first, and so far only, drug approved for treating Covid. Previously the FDA had allowed temporary use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Gilead Sciences, remdesivir's maker, said it would be sold under the brand name Veklury. Since the EUA was issued several month ago, Gildead has increased its manufacturing capacity, and says that the drug is now "widely available in hospitals".

The drug is used to treat Covid patients that have been hospitalized, and is given in a hospital setting or equivalent.

The FDA approval follows completion of three trials, including a double-blind study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The trials showed that remdesivir reduced hospitalization time and also reduced the likelihood of mechanical ventilation.

That trial included over one thousand Covid-19 patients.

October 8, 2020

Regeneron released data from a trial of its so-called "antibody cocktail", showing that treatment both reduced levels of the Covid-19 virus and reduced the symptoms suffered.

The new data are from 275 non-hospitalized Covid-19 patients who were given either a low or a high dose of REGN-COV2, as the antibody cocktail is officially known. Some were given a placebo instead. The treatment was given intravenously.

The patients receiving the high dose showed a significant decrease in virus levels, the data show. Furthermore, the treatment was most effective in those patients who did not generate large quantities of antibodies on their own.

The results suggest that giving the drug to people recently infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, could keep them from being hospitalized.

REGN-COV2 is composed of monoclonal antibodies, a manufactured version of antibodies that are naturally created inside the bodies of those infected with the coronavirus. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly is also developing and testing a monoclonal antibody treatment.

This data is based on the earliest patients receiving the treatment in a larger trial. Subsequent data from the larger trial will be needed before the treatment can be approved for widespread use.

September 15, 2020

A monoclonal antibody treatment from drug giant Eli Lilly reduced the virus levels and lowered the rate of hospitalization for Covid-19 patients, according to new data from a trial.

Monoclonal antibodies are considered one of the most promising types of treatment being developed for Covid-19. They are versions of human antibodies that can be manufactured in large quantities. Several companies, including Lilly, are developing monoclonal antibodies to treat Covid. Lilly is partnering with biotech company AbCellera on the drug's development.

The trial involved about 450 Covid-19 patients. Some received the antibody, called LY-CoV555, while others received a placebo. Only 1.7% of those receiving the antibody had to be hospitalized, which is 72% less than the hospitalization rate of those that received the placebo.

Patients receiving 2,800 mg of the new drug also had lower levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, than those receiving the placebo. There were no serious side effects of the new drug, Lilly said.

A larger trial of the drug is underway.

In a separate trial, another drug from Eli Lilly, called baricitinib, has been shown to speed the recovery time of hospitalized Covid patients.

August 31, 2020

A trial of a new monoclonal antibody is enrolling 1,300 Covid-19 patients, to test whether the antibody, if administered early, can prevent the disease from worsening to the point that the patient needs to be hospitalized.

The antibody, dubbed VIR-7831, is based on antibodies from a patient who suffered from - and recovered from - SARS, which is caused by a coronavirus, albeit a different one from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

The study is being conducted by Vir Biotechnology, based in San Francisco, and GlaxoStithKline (GSK), the giant pharmaceutical company.

Although monoclonal antibody treatments from other companies, such as Regeneron and Eli Lilly, are already underway, Vir and GSK believe that their candidate may prove effective at lower doses, allowing more patients to be treated.

Antibody treatments such as this one are in general aimed at newly diagnosed patients, with a goal of treating them quickly and preventing the illness from progressing. The study will measure the likelihood that treated patients need hospitalization.

August 8, 2020

U.S. biotech company CytoDyne released positive results from the Phase 2 trial of treating Covid-19 patients with Leronlimab. The patients receiving the drug were 21% more likely to show improved health within 3 days than those who received a placebo.

The patients in the study had mild or moderate flu-like symptoms from Covid-19, and those symptoms showed improvement in 90% of the patients receiving Leronlimab.

Leronlimab, which had also been called PRO 140, is a monoclonal antibody that targets a receptor that may be involved in the infection of healthy cells by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. CytoDyn will request regulatory approval for treatment of Covid-19 patients with Leronlimab.

CytoDyn believes the drug may also help patients with more severe cases of Covid-19, and plans a subsequent trial to test that hypothesis.

July 23, 2020

British company Synairgen has produced an inhaled form of a common drug, interferon beta, that greatly reduces the chance that Covid-19 patients become severely ill. The study was small, but did include a control group that received a placebo instead of the drug being tested.

The patients getting interferon were 79% less likely to become severely ill, compared to the Covid patients who received the placebo.

The study was small, however, so a larger follow-up study will be needed to confirm the results. 101 patients particpated in the study.

Interferon is commonly given by injection to treat various infections, such as hepatitis. But injected interferon frequently causes side effects. Synairgen produced the inhaled form in the hope that it could be effective against Covid-19 without as many side effects as the injectable form.

Interferon is a protein that is produced in the body as part of its defense against virus infections. The coronavirus that causes Covid-19, however, is able to block or reduce the body's interferon response. Thus the additional interferon helps the body's protective actions against the virus.

June 30, 2020

Stanford University scientists are starting a trial of an antiviral drug, Favipiravir, as a possible oral treatment for Covid-19 patients. The hope is that the new drug, if given early enough to Covid patients, could reduce the severity of the illness and speed up recovery time.

Other treatments, such as remdesivir, must be administered intravenously, in a hospital-like setting. Favipiravir could be given to patients to take at home.

Favipiravir has already been approved for Covid-19 patients in Russia, China, and India.

Another hope for Favipivir is that it shortens "the duration of viral shedding", according to Marisa Holubar, M.D., one of the scientists conducting the study. That would mean that the drug helps protect the spread of Covid-19, as well as improving outcomes for individuals.

June 16, 2020

Researchers have found that dexamethasone, a common steroid, cuts mortality due to Covid-19 by almost one-third. This breakthrough finding is the first treatment proven to reduce Covid-19 deaths.

The finding comes from the University of Oxford's trials of several drugs to treat hospitalized Covid-19 patients. The drug is now set to become "standard of care" treatment for hospitalized patients in the U.K. Use is other countries is expected to follow soon.

Dexamethasone is used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and several other illnesses. It is a widely available generic drug, and is sold at a moderate price. The drug acts as an anti-inflammatory and had previously been tested on SARS patients.

The trial showed the mortality reduction for hospitalized Covid-19 patients that were receiving oxygen or on ventilators. The mortality rate of ventilated patients is reduced from 41% to 25% by using dexamethasone, according to the study.

June 1, 2020

A study of hospitalized Covid-19 patients showed that treatment with the drug tocilizumab reduced the death rate by 45%, compared with a control group. The study, administered by University of Michigan scientists, was announced on a preprint server.

The study involved 154 Covid-19 patients who were hospitalized and using ventilators. Approximately half of them were given tocilizumab, and that group showed a 45% lower death rate than the others.

Tocilizumab acts against IL-6, a molecule used by the body to fight infections. In some cases IL-6 is believed to cause an overreaction by the immune system, sometimes known as a cytokine storm, which can prove fatal. The drug is sold by Genentech, under the brand name Actemra, as an arthritis treatment.

Roche, which owns Genentech, intends to conduct a Phase 3 trial in which tocilizumab will be combined with remdesivir, which has already been approved to treat Covid-19. Roche will partner with Gilead, Remdesivir's maker, on the trial.

May 24, 2020

The New England Journal of Medicine published the full results of the study showing remdesivir's benefit for hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Gilead, the maker of remdesivir, previously announced the main conclusions of the study, but the details of the study, and related data, had not been available before now.

The study involved 1,063 hospitalized Covid-19 patients, each of whom was randomly given either remdesivir or a placebo. Their conditions were monitored by doctors who didn't know which patients received the real remdesivir.

The median recovery time for the patients receiving remdesivir was 11 days, four days shorter than the median time for the patients receiving the placebo. The benefits applied to all classes of patients, regardless of age, gender or seriousness of the illness.

The study was halted as soon as it became clear that remdesivir was producing benefits. This allowed a quicker approval by the FDA so that the drug can be given more widely to seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

May 20, 2020

A new antibody has been found in lab tests to completely block infection by the virus that causes Covid-19, according to Sorrento Therapeutics, the company that discovered the antibody.

The antibody, dubbed STI-1499, was found to have "100% inhibition" of SARS-CoV-2, the virus in question, after four days of incubation, in lab studies by Sorrento. If testing finds the same results in live patients, the antibody could form the basis of a therapeutic treatment for patients suffering from Covid-19.

In addition, the company plans to combine STI-1499 with several other antibodies to form a cocktail that together would block infection by the virus, even though the virus may have several variations due to mutation. Sorrento is seeking quick approval by the FDA for the proposed antibody cocktail, which could be used as a vaccine.

Sorrento said it has found several antibodies capable of interfering with the virus, but that STI-1499 was the most effective of all of them. It plans to use the antibody both as a standalone therapy, called COVI-GUARD, and as part of the cocktail of multiple antibodies, called COVI-SHIELD.

The company is planning to ramp up production, even in advance of human trial results, so that treatment could be rolled out quickly in the case of positive results.

May 4, 2020

Synairgen, based in Southampton, England, announced that it has started treating Covid-19 patients with SNG001, its inhalable anti-viral formulation.

The drug brings interferon beta to the lungs, helping the body fight viral infections. Interferon beta is a protein involved in the body's efforts to fight viral infections. Although interferon beta is naturally present in the lungs, Covid-19 seems to reduces the levels available to fight infections.

The company believes that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, reduces the amount of interferon beta that is produced in the body. Thus bringing additional amounts of the substance to the lungs via SNG001 will help the body fight off the coronavirus infection.

Synairgen plans to give the drug to 100 Covid-19 patients, and will expand the trial further if results warrant.

April 29, 2020

The US government reported that Gilead's remdesivir helped Covid-19 patients recover faster. The results was the most significant demonstration of medical benefit of any Covid treatment in trial so far.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said at the White House that the results show "that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery". Dr. Fauci is the top infectious disease expert in the US government.

The trial involved over 1,000 patients that had been hospitalized with serious cases of Covid-19. Some of the patients received remdesivir, while others received a placebo. The patients who got remdesivir recovered faster - they were able to leave the hospital 31% quicker than the other patients.

The results, which are preliminary, also showed some "survival" benefit, meaning that the patients receiving remdesivir had a lower chance of dying than those who did't. More detailed results will be released in the future. Remdesivir is administered through infusion or injection in a hospital setting.

The FDA is likely to approve use of remdesivir for Covid-19 treatment via an emergency use authorization. The trial was sponsored by NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), part of NIH.

Gilead Sciences also reported that five days of receiving remdesivir appears to be just as effective as a ten-day treatment. Those results came from a different trial, involving 397 patients.

April 28, 2020

A new drug called PRO 140 has produced "impressive" results in a small study, according to the company behind the drug. Also known as leronlimab, the drug was originally developed to treat HIV infection.

If successfully tested, PRO 140 could fight the over-active immune system response known informally as a "cytokine storm" (and more formally as cytokine release syndrome). In a cytokine storm, too many white blood cells are produced, overwhelming the body's controls.

The small study of PRO 140 on Covid-19 patients is being done at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. CytoDyn's CEO Nader Pourhassan called the results "impressive" after patients showed reduced amounts of the virus behind Covid-19, and better functioning immune systems, after treatment with the drug.

New Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials for PRO 140 (leronlimab) are expected to start soon.

April 27, 2020

Scientists have reported success in cloning antibodies to the virus that causes Covid-19, opening the door to new avenues of treatment. The antibodies were taken from patients who recovered from the disease.

The researchers then confirmed that the cloned antibodies did in fact block the virus, known officially as SARS-CoV-2, from binding to its target receptor, in laboratory tests. A next step would be to confirm a similar level of effectiveness in people.

Using cloned antibodies would be a large step forward from using antibodies recovered from patients, since the antibodies could be produced without the need to find and draw blood from available former patients.

The new antibodies, of a type called monoclonal antibodies, could potentially serve as both treatment and vaccine.

The lead author on the paper reporting the results is from the Institute of Immunology in Chongqing, China.

April 17, 2020

A Chicago hospital taking part in a closely watched trial of Remdesivir is reportedly seeing recoveries in Covid-19 patients being treated with the medicine.

Remdesivir, from Gilead Sciences, is an antiviral drug that was one of the first existing drugs identified as a possible effective treatment for Covid-19. The trial in question is being operated by the University of Chicago and includes 125 Covid-19 patients.

Kathleen Mullane, who is leading the trials, called the results "great", adding that most of the patients treated with Remdesivir have been discharged from the hospital. Many of the patients on ventilators were able to breath without ventilation within a day or so of starting Remdesivir.

Similar trials are also being conducted elsewhere, and the final results will include patient outcomes at all locations. It is not known if the other locations are seeing similar rates of patient improvement.

Gilead had previously indicated that results from the studies would likely be available during April.

April 15, 2020

Fujifilm announced that it is expanding production capacity for Avigan, its antiviral drug that may be an effective treatment for Covid-19 patients.

Fujifilm makes the drug through its Toyoma subsidiary. Avigan may help Covid-19 patients who have developed pneumonia recover more quickly or avoid needing a ventilator.

The company siad it has established contracts to ensure supplies of the raw materials needed to make Avigan. It plans to make 100,000 treatments by July, and 300,000 by September. Furthermore, Fujifilm said it is in talks with other governments about building additional supplies.

Avigan, whose generic name is favipiravir, acts by inhibiting RNA polymerase activity that is used by SARS-CoV-2 during replication. SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Avigan is currently undergoing clinical trials.

April 13, 2020

A rheumatoid arthritis drug made by Eli Lilly will be tested as a treatment for hospitalized Covid-19 patients. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will use the drug, known as baricitinib, in an ongoing trial. It is sold under the commercial name Olumiant.

The drug, by acting to suppress the patient's immune system, may help quell an overactive immune response, known as a cytokine storm, that can be fatal. Cytokines are small proteins that are sent out in very large quantities by an immune system that overreacts to an infection.

A British AI company called Benevolent AI had previously identified baricitinib as a possibly effective treatment for Covid-19, since it has antiviral effects as well as helping to suppress the immune system.

April 12, 2020

New US funding will allow Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche to accelerate testing of Actemra as a treatment for Covid-19 patients who have developed severe pneumonia.

Actemra is an IL-6 inhibitor that has been used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Roche expects that it can help prevent the over-active immune response to pneumonia that has proved so damaging for some Covid-19 patients.

Other IL-6 inhibitors are also undergoing trials, such as Kevzara, which is being tested by Sanofi and Regeneron, and Sylvant, from EUSA, which is undergoing a trial in Bergamo, Italy.

The new US funding is in the form of $25 million from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). A double-blind phase 3 trial is expected to start within April.

April 9, 2020

A new phase 2/3 trial has started to evaluate the use of Kevzara, a monoclonal antibody also known as sarilumab, on hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Kevzara blocks a receptor, called IL-6, that is suspected to stimulate hyperactive inflammatory action in the lungs of Covid-19 patients.

This U.S. trial is being conducted in New York, and will assess both the effectiveness and safety of Kevzara. Up to 400 Covid-19 patients will be enrolled. A previous trial in China found that a different IL-6 inhibiting antibody, tocilizumab, helped 15 out of 20 patients reduce the need for oxygen supplies.

Kevzara was developed by a partnership of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi, using Regeneron's proprietary Velocimmune human antibody mouse. Sanofi expects to initiate additional trials of Kevzara outside the U.S., perhaps in Italy, in the coming months.

March 27, 2020

A study in Wuhan, China, has found modest improvement in Covid-19 patients with pneumonia when treated with favipiravir, an antiviral drug made by Toyama Chemical of Japan. Toyama is owned by Fujifilm.

The study involved 240 patients. Half were given favipiravir, and half were given a different antiviral, umifenovir. On average, the patients receiving favipiravir had faster resolution of coughs and fevers. It is not clear however, if favipiravir reduces the chance that the patient will require a ventilator.

Favipiravir interferes with the replication process of a virus after it has invaded a cell.