UT Health San Antonio and its clinical partner, University Hospital, are among the first sites in the country to initiate the third phase of clinical trials of redesivir, a prospective remedy for COVID-19.
Lately it is being tested in combination with a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sclerosis. This medicine, advertised as Rebif, is produced through Merck KGaA from Germany.
Patients in the group are randomly divided into two groups. One receives the re-divisor plus the new drug under Array interferon beta-1a, while the other receives remdesivir and a placebo.
“We are thrilled to be on the front line and help find new remedies for COVID-19,” said Dr. Thomas Patterson, principal investigator of the test component at University Hospital and Head of Infectious Diseases at the Long School of Medicine at UT. San Antonio Health.
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The clinical trial is conducted through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health.
The first edition of the trial began on February 21 to compare the repobreza, which scientists say targets genetic clothing called RNA and aims to prevent replication of SARS-CoV-2.
Gilead Sciences, Inc., of Foster City, California, evolved and produced the antiviral drug.
Initial research from THE ACTT data, published in May, found that patients who gained re-1ivir had a statistically shorter recovery time than patients who won placebos.
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The recovery time has been longer than 15 days to days with remdesivir.
The San Antonio exam site was among the largest in the world at the time in the clinical trial phase, Patterson said, meaning knowledge of the remedies of these local patients will play a vital role in the search for new COVID-19 remedies.
The momentary phase tested baricitinib, a rheumatoid arthritis drug manufactured through the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co, but these effects have still been published.
Laura Garcia covers the health industry. To be more informed about Laura, a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net Twitter: @Reporter_Laura
Laura Garcia is a health and insurance journalist at the San Antonio Express-News. She is the new treasurer of the Association of Hispanic Journalists of San Antonio.
Prior to joining Express-News, she was a news editor at Victoria Advocate. He is part of a research reporting team on a series called “Harvey Understanding.” Coverage targeting a network recovering from Hurricane Harvey and winning an award from the National Society of Professional Journalists for Public Service.
His paintings have been in The Roanoke Times in Virginia, Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Longview News-Journal. He holds degrees in journalism from San Antonio College and Texas State University-San Marcos.