A single injection of a new antiviral treatment for Covid-19 halved the risk of hospitalization for infection in clinical trials, according to a study published Wednesday, which the authors hope will lead to a new drug for patients.
Even if Covid-19 is no longer in the headlines, developing new treatment options remains crucial, especially against new variants, said Jeffrey Glenn, a professor of immunology at Stanford University and co-author of the study, published in Magazine. diary NEJM.
Nearly 500 people still die from the disease every day in the United States.
A defense mechanism other than antibodies.
The treatment in question uses interferons, crucial proteins in the immune response. They are secreted in the presence of a virus and attach to receptors on certain cells, then trigger “an innate antiviral defense mechanism” (distinct from antibodies), Jeffrey Glenn explained.
There are several types of interferons, including the so-called lambdas. Their particularity is that they adhere in particular to the cells of the lungs, precisely where Covid-19 abounds.
The treatment consists of an injection of a synthetic version of lambda interferons, within 7 days after the first symptoms of Covid-19 appear.
It was tested in a clinical trial on more than 1,900 adults infected with Covid, between June 2021 and February 2022, in Brazil and Canada. 85% of the patients were vaccinated.
Of the 931 people who received the treatment, 25 were hospitalized, compared with 57 of the 1,018 people who received a placebo, a 51% reduction, according to the study. Results are even better when isolating unvaccinated patients.
More convenient than Paxlovid
“It’s spectacular,” said Jeffrey Glenn, who founded the Eiger biopharmaceutical company that developed the treatment (he still owns shares in the company).
This unique treatment offers a practical advantage over Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid, which requires taking dozens of pills over five days, he argued.
And some treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, as well as vaccines, have been gradually losing efficacy in the face of new variants. Since interferons interact with cells, the treatment will not be affected by the evolution of the virus.
According to Eiger biopharmaceuticals, which had previously published these results in a press release, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not respond to a request for emergency authorization.
But Jeffrey Glenn was optimistic: “I hope this study helps encourage regulators here and around the world to find a way to get (this treatment) to patients as quickly as possible.”
Source: BFM TV
