Low Cost Drug For Hepatitis Can Also Help Fight Coronavirus Say Experts; Trials To Begin Soon In India

Experts are certain that drugs meant for the treatment of Hepatitis C can also help in the treatment of coronavirus. Research institutes in India are planning to start drug trials.

Representative Image: /AFP IMAGE/

New Delhi: Experts say that low-cost drugs used for the treatment of Hepatitis C can also be effective for Covid 19. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, in collaboration with INTOX Pvt Ltd, Pune, and Rohtak PGIMS have now sent a proposal to the DCGI for permission to conduct trials on Hepatitis C drug, it is their understanding that it will help in treating COVID-19 positive patients. “The trials will begin as and when the requisite permission is received. While the clinical trials are proposed to be conducted at the Rohtak PGIMS, our other collaborators will take care of the in-vitro and in-silico aspects. We have also approached the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) for funding the project,” said Dr Dhruva Chaudhry, Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Rohtak PGIMS and Haryana State Nodal Officer for Covid-19 in a report by The Tribune. According to these experts, anti-Hepatitis C drugs namely, Ledipasvir and Daclatasvir when used in combination with Sofosbuvir seem to be promising for Covid-19 treatment, they even think that it might work better than Remdesivir. In Haryana, 1500 patients are under the Hepatitis C treatment none of whom have tested positive for COVID-19. Dr. Parveen Malhotra, head of the Department of Medical Gastroenterology at Rohtak PGIMS told The Tribune “It can be taken as indirect evidence of the beneficial effect of the antiviral drugs used for the treatment of Hepatitis C in Covid-19 infection, but that requires further research for confirmation.” According to a report by Financial Times, the combination of drugs used to treat Hepatitis C is showing promising results in Iranian hospitals during trials. Results from three trials showed 94 percent of hospitalised patients taking a combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir had reduced fevers and improved breathing as opposed to the 70 percent who did not get this drug combination.