AGL 38.54 Increased By ▲ 0.97 (2.58%)
AIRLINK 129.50 Decreased By ▼ -3.00 (-2.26%)
BOP 5.61 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-0.53%)
CNERGY 3.86 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (2.39%)
DCL 8.73 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-1.58%)
DFML 41.76 Increased By ▲ 0.76 (1.85%)
DGKC 88.30 Decreased By ▼ -1.86 (-2.06%)
FCCL 35.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-0.23%)
FFBL 67.35 Increased By ▲ 0.85 (1.28%)
FFL 10.61 Increased By ▲ 0.46 (4.53%)
HUBC 108.76 Increased By ▲ 2.36 (2.22%)
HUMNL 14.66 Increased By ▲ 1.26 (9.4%)
KEL 4.75 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-2.26%)
KOSM 6.95 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (1.46%)
MLCF 41.65 Decreased By ▼ -0.15 (-0.36%)
NBP 59.60 Increased By ▲ 1.02 (1.74%)
OGDC 183.00 Increased By ▲ 1.75 (0.97%)
PAEL 26.25 Increased By ▲ 0.55 (2.14%)
PIBTL 5.97 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (2.4%)
PPL 146.70 Decreased By ▼ -1.70 (-1.15%)
PRL 23.61 Increased By ▲ 0.39 (1.68%)
PTC 16.56 Increased By ▲ 1.32 (8.66%)
SEARL 68.30 Decreased By ▼ -0.49 (-0.71%)
TELE 7.23 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.14%)
TOMCL 35.95 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.14%)
TPLP 7.85 Increased By ▲ 0.45 (6.08%)
TREET 14.20 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.28%)
TRG 50.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.40 (-0.79%)
UNITY 26.75 Increased By ▲ 0.35 (1.33%)
WTL 1.21 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
BR100 9,806 Increased By 37.8 (0.39%)
BR30 29,678 Increased By 278.1 (0.95%)
KSE100 92,304 Increased By 366.3 (0.4%)
KSE30 28,840 Increased By 96.6 (0.34%)
Print Print 2020-03-24

Researchers study drug to reduce COVID-19 complications

Canadian researchers launched a study Monday into the use of a powerful anti-inflammatory drug to reduce the risks of pulmonary complications and death related to the new coronavirus. Several COVID-19 patients have had severe complications from a surge of
Published 24 Mar, 2020 12:00am

Canadian researchers launched a study Monday into the use of a powerful anti-inflammatory drug to reduce the risks of pulmonary complications and death related to the new coronavirus. Several COVID-19 patients have had severe complications from a surge of activated immune cells in the lungs - known as a "cytokine storm."
In a cytokine storm, the immune system overreacts and damages lung tissue, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ failure. A team led by Jean-Claude Tardif, director of the Montreal Heart Institute research center and professor of medicine at the University of Montreal, are hoping the drug colchicine will work to moderate the overproduction of immune cells and their activating compounds - called cytokines - in COVID-19 patients.
If it proves to be successful, the drug - which is already used to treat gout and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart membrane), and is readily available and inexpensive - could become a key tool in the pandemic fight.
At a news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Can$192 million (US$132 million) in funding for vaccine development and production in Canada, as well as several partnerships with firms to accelerate clinical trials and the eventual production of a vaccine and treatments. "Once there are promising options, Canada needs the capacity to mass produce treatments as quickly as possible," he said.
Those named by the prime minister included Vancouver's AbCellera, Medicago in Quebec City, and Toronto-based startup BlueDot, which used artificial intelligence to flag the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan nine days before the World Health Organization, as well as the University of Saskatchewan and the National Research Council.
Tardif told public broadcaster Radio-Canada that he hopes to know if colchicine is effective in coronavirus patients within three months. He said he became interested in its possible application as a COVID-19 fighter when it became clear that most children were resistant to the illness.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2020

Comments

Comments are closed.