the health Ministry confirmed that the Chinese medicine production is identical to preparations of hydroxychloroquine, supplied to Russia by other manufacturers. Prime Mishustin instructed to distribute the medicine to the health facilities. At the same time in Moscow COVID centers launched a program of preventive use of hydroxychloroquine – it gives doctors to reduce the risk of infection and severe COVID-19. In fact, to carry out clinical studies of the drug.
Hydroxychloroquine is not a novelty of the pharmaceutical market. Them for many years to treat malaria, arthritis, a red lupus and asthma. From COVID-19, he first tried in China, and then in the United States and Europe. Information about its effectiveness against new infections are contradictory. But the doctors had acted in a “vacuum” – it’s been proven effective drugs from the evil “crown” no. When the virus reached Russia, the Ministry of health has included the medicine in the interim guidelines. And immediately there was an excessive demand: esperanse for a month in Russia pharmacies were selling 10-15 thousand packages, over March 2020 – just six times, reported “RG” in the DSM Group.
In Russia the bulk of hydroxychloroquine supplies “Sanofi”, and as reported by “RG”, production of medicines since the beginning of the epidemic has doubled. “RG” appealed to the Director of corporate relations “Sanofi” in Eurasia Yuri Mochalin to comment on the first results and prospects for the use of the drug against the coronavirus.
What are the results of early trials of the drug that were conducted since the beginning of the pandemic?
Yuri Mochalin: given the urgent situation, Sanofi and the scientific community are doing everything possible to find answers concerning hydroxychloroquine. But there is no sufficient clinical grounds for conclusions about its efficacy and safety in the prevention or treatment COVID-2019.
To date were published the preliminary results of small foreign independent studies, which require further analysis and a more robust and large-scale clinical trials. So, the who announced the start of an international clinical study on Solidarity in the evaluation of several drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, including the drug with the INN. In Europe is conducted as part of the study the who study entitled Discovery. It is planned to include thousands of patients from different countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and France.
is your company in conducting such research?
Yuri Mochalin: We work with health authorities and scientists from many countries. Our company supports research Solidaruty and Discovery – we provide free medication to medical centers.
Sanofi is also conducting two random��siromasnih controlled by KI to assess the effectiveness and safety of the drug at different stages of the disease. The first study starts in the USA, France and the Netherlands. It will be studied the clinical efficacy and safety of the drug in patients in outpatient (outside the hospital) – in the early stages of the disease.
a Second study in the United States and Europe will evaluate the results of the use of the drug in hospitalized patients with moderately severe and severe COVID-19. It will include about 300 patients. The set of participants is very fast. Part of Russia is studied.
When do you expect to get meaningful results on the basis of which it would be possible to more confidently prescribe a medicine to patients COVID-19?
Yuri Mochalin: We can obtain preliminary information in a few weeks, but it will take a few months to the end of the research and the formulation of conclusions.
it is Important to act quickly, but at the same time to implement all precautions to ensure the safety of patients.
What is the volume of supply of hydroxychloroquine in Russia, will they be increased in connection with increased demand?
Yuri Mochalin: We see the growth of demand for the drug and pharmaceutical segment, and government customers. It can be caused by a number of publications showing potential antiviral activity of the drug in COVID-19. However, as I said, these publications are based on the preliminary results of small studies.
However, because the drug was included in the interim recommendations of the Ministry of health and reported its application during the epidemic broke in the press, there emerged an excessive demand, and buy medicine at the pharmacy now is not easy. Especially for chronic patients who take it on the testimony – for example, in the treatment of arthritis.
Yuri Mochalin: We understand the concerns of patients and take all measures to provide them with medicine. Sanofi is one of several manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine in Russia. We have introduced strict monitoring of orders and shipments and supply the medicine without interruption. We also addressed the pharmacy networks with a request to toughen the holidays strictly according to recipes.
Considering the high demand, the company made a decision on priority security patients was indicated. We appealed to the Ministry of health of Russia with the request about the needs of the regions and conduct the shipment to the distributors taking into account the information provided by the Ministry of health.
the Drug ramdevpir seems to be able to cure patients with coronavirus, reported Britain’s the independent. Optimism about it was so strong that it triggered a jump in stock index FTSE 100 by three percent. The Dow Jones rose by 2.99 per cent, relying on the ability of ramdevpir developed for the treatment of Ebola virus, to cope with the epidemic COVID-19.
the American firm Gilead Sciences in conjunction with hospital of the University of Chicago found that almost all patients with COVID-19 taking this medicine, recovered within a week. In clinical trials was attended by 125 people, 113 in serious condition. All of them were given daily to ramdevpir. Two patients died, but most of the rest were discharged from hospital with improvement.
With final conclusions yet no hurry. Pharmaceutical company claim that look forward to the results of ongoing research that may already appear in April. “We saw how people were removed from the ventilator the day after the start of therapy. The majority of patients heavy, but it is noteworthy that many of them left the hospital after six days,” says Kathleen Mullen, a specialist in infectious diseases.
One of the study participants, 57-year-old Slawomir Michalak, said that higher temperatures have dropped him almost immediately and he felt much better. With oxygen took it off after receiving a second dose of ramdevpir, and after two days was discharged from the hospital.
However, as stressed by the independent, scientists do not hurry to recognize ramdevpir “Golden pill”. Hilary Hutton-Squire, General Manager and Vice President of Gilead Sciences offices in the UK and in Ireland, have shown cautious optimism, noting that it is only a hospital test drug. To confirm its effectiveness and safety, we need a full-scale clinical studies.
Prepared London
