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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved the use of the drug “dexamethasone” for the treatment of critically-ill coronavirus patients.
This was made known by the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus at a press briefing on Monday.
MERIDIAN SPY reports days ago the widely-used steroid called “dexamethasone”, normally used to reduce inflammation in other diseases such as arthritis, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.
It became the first drug shown to be able to save lives among COVID-19 patients in what scientists said is a “major breakthrough” in the pandemic.
A team of medical researchers from Oxford University, led by Martin Landry, said the drug costs £5 per patient and is available worldwide.
Ghebreyesus, speaking on the use of dexamethasone, called for increased production and distribution, but emphasised that there is no evidence that the drug works for patients with mild symptoms.
“Although the data are still preliminary, the recent finding that the steroid dexamethasone has life-saving potential for critically ill COVID-19 patients gave us a much-needed reason to celebrate,” he said.
“The next challenge is to increase production and rapidly and equitably distribute dexamethasone worldwide, focusing on where it is needed most.
“Demand has already surged, following the UK trial results showing dexamethasone’s clear benefit. Fortunately, this is an inexpensive medicine and there are many dexamethasone manufacturers worldwide, who we are confident can accelerate production.
“Guided by solidarity, countries must work together to ensure supplies are prioritised for countries where there are large numbers of critically ill patients, and that supplies remain available to treat other diseases for which it is needed.
“Transparency and constant monitoring will be key to ensuring needs dictate supplies, rather than means. It is also important to check that suppliers can guarantee quality, as there is a high risk of substandard or falsified products entering the market.
“WHO emphasises that dexamethasone should only be used for patients with severe or critical disease, under close clinical supervision.
“There is no evidence this drug works for patients with mild disease or as a preventative measure, and it could cause harm.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), MERIDIAN SPY reports, had before the approval said it was aware of recent outcomes from a UK-Government funded clinical trial of the drug but warned that it has not validated or approved the drug for treatment of COVID-19, nor has the WHO.
