FDA approves Israeli drug for coronavirus treatment trials

Researchers are hoping that Aviptadil will be able to take on the so-called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) -- a condition responsible for about 50% of COVID-19 fatalities

i24NEWS|03.31.20 | 06:01

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sunday has cleared NeuroRx, a US-Israeli pharmaceutical company, and Relief Therapeutics, a Swiss drug development company, for phase two trials for a drug that could take on a deadly condition associated with COVID-19.

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The two companies announced that the FDA issued a "study may proceed" letter -- which does not amount to a full-fledged drug approval -- for the substance to be tried on COVID-19 patients.
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Medics treating a coronavirus victim in France
(Photo: Reuters)
The drug in question, Aviptadil, is a synthetic form of a neuropeptide hormone that works to enable communications between neurons in the human nervous system.
The researchers are hoping that Aviptadil will be able to take on the so-called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) -- a condition responsible for about 50% of COVID-19 fatalities.

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Coronavirus patient outside Paris hospital 
(Photo: Reuters)
ARDS is a respiratory system failure induced by a rapid and severe lung inflammation, with breath shortness -- a symptom COVID-19 is widely associated with -- among its key signs.
It effectively brings to a halt the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the patient's lungs, necessitating the use of an artificial lung ventilation machine. 

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wait for it, betcha it won't be available in Israel!

04.06.20

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1.

Sounds like it just treats a consequence of virus

ARDS is, as the article notes, only "a symptom COVID-19 is widely associated with -- among its key signs." So even if Ariptadil proves effective, isn't the underlying coronavirus still there? In contrast, hydroxychloroquile esp. with zinc targets the virus itself, esp in the early stages, while azythromycin addresses bacterial infections. I'm not a doctor, this is just what's suggested by what Fauci derides as "anecdotal reports", but we're getting more of them these days. Were always advised that early detection and treatment is better, so if a cheap and effective treatment were applied with early confirmation of the disorder, maybe we'd be spared the flood of critical "end stage" cases.

Raymond in DC| 04.03.20

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