The World Health Organization (WHO) is starting a large international trial with three drugs to see if they improve the condition of hospitalized corona patients.
Artesunate, imatinib and infliximab will be tested on patients in more than 600 hospitals in 52 countries.
Finding more effective and accessible therapies for Covid-19 patients remains a critical need, said WHO chief Tedros. For example, artesunate is a treatment for severe malaria. Imatinib is a medicine used for certain cancers, and infliximab is a treatment for immune system disorders such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatism.
The drugs have been made available by their manufacturers for research and are being shipped to the hospitals involved. “We already have many tools to prevent, test and treat Covid-19. But we need more,” Tedros said at a news conference.
The WHO previously investigated other existing medicines for corona treatment, but these turned out to have little or no effect.