With a vaccine still a long distance away, efforts to repurpose old medications used for other ailments provide hope of an early counter to COVID-19, say scientists, placing the antiviral remdesivir on top of the list of possible contenders.
An Indian-origin researcher in the US and his team have identified four antiviral drugs -- including remdesivir that was originally developed to treat Ebola -- which may be effective in inhibiting the replication of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Saturday said it has received tentative nod from the US health regulator to market generic Empagliflozin and Metformin Hydrochloride tablets, used for management of type-2 diabetes, in the American market
Officially called 'Favipiravir', the drug is believed to have proven to reduce the duration of coronavirus infection among patients. It has also resulted in the improvement of patients suffering from lung infections, Strides Pharma Science said.
Patients infected with the coronavirus are responding to remdesivir, an experimental drug of Gilead Sciences, news agency Reuters quoted a report as saying.
A report from China claimed Hydroxychloroquine helped more than 100 patients at 10 hospitals, but they had various degrees of illness and were treated with various doses for different lengths of time, and might have recovered without the drug.
The demand for hydroxychloroquine, a "game-changer" drug in the fight against COVID-19, is surging despite no clinical evidence of it being a cure against the disease.
MIT scientists have designed a drug candidate that they say may block coronaviruses'' ability to enter human cells, an advance that could help develop a possible treatment for COVID-19.
Strides Pharma Science on Thursday said it has received approval from the US health regulator for Loratadine Softgel Capsules, a medication typically used to treat allergies. In a filing to BSE Strides said its "step-down wholly-owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte Ltd, Singapore, has received approval for Loratadine Softgel Capsules, 10 mg (OTC) from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA)."
According to the study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, a receptor found in almost all cells called AHR, known to combat exposures to environmental chemicals, plays a major role in the body's metabolism.
China's much publicised new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease has hit the market, raising hopes of a cure for millions of people in the country and abroad suffering from the brain disorder.
In a crackdown on Karnataka's narcotics trade, Bengaluru Police has busted a unique method of drug smuggling and have arrested 3 men in connection with this racket, all of whom are students.
According to a health department spokesperson, "A showcause notice has been issued to the Hyderabad-based supplier firm. Arrangements are being made to provide additional stock to meet the high demand of the medicine."
To curb the growing drug abuse in the country, the government would vet a proposal to extend penalty provisions applicable to drunken driving.
The use of triple-drug therapy for elephantiasis will be scaled up in a phased manner from next month to accelerate the elimination of the tropical disease, the government said on Wednesday.
A police team led by SHO Yashpal Dhama intercepted a vehicle on Khatima-Panipat highway near Kairana on Monday evening, Circle Officer Pradeep Singh said.
Filmmaker Karan Johar was "angered" over the baseless allegations that he hosted a drug party at his residence, and he says he would ensure he deals with such accusations strictly in future.
A new drug has been discovered by a team of scientists in the US which unleashes a new hope to prevent the spreading of malaria. The drug aims to kill the parasite at all stages of its life cycle along with treating the patient suffering from the deadly disease.
"There is no doubt that illegal cross-border drug smuggling has increased in recent years and Manipur has become a favourable transit route for transporting them to other parts of the country and beyond," the officer said.
"Anyone can register a complaint against a drug peddler through the 'Drug-Free Himachal' app," a government spokesperson told IANS.
Top News
Latest News
