A pharmaceutical company based in Leiden has described the results of an initial coronavirus treatment trial as ‘encouraging.’ It could be one of the first viable treatments for COVID-19 to date.
Pharming Group tested the existing drug Ruconest on five coronavirus patients. The medicine is used to counteract other conditions that are similar to complications from coronavirus, reports Nu.nl.
“It is used for sudden swelling caused by leakage of barrels due to lack of a certain substance,” said a spokesperson. “This creates an acute inflammatory attack, which causes swelling that is very painful and can be fatal.”
Researchers hope that the drug will stop the leakage of vessels that occurs in the lungs of coronavirus patients.
What happened in the study?
The trial saw Ruconest have a quick and positive effect on four out of five patients. While the fifth patient also improved, they were slower than the others.
The subjects of the study were four men and a woman, all aged between 53 and 85. These age groups are some of the highest at risk of death when infected with coronavirus.
Next step? Up to 150 COVID-19 patients in Switzerland in a serious condition will take the drug to see if there is an improvement. Fingers crossed that the next trial goes well — and that we may be on our way to a treatment!
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