COVID19 - Antidote and vaccines in under development

As we know there is no cure for coronavirus to date and our scientists and researchers are working day and night to get the cure. First of all, Alldatmatterz urge you to wash your hands regularly and take all precautions to stay away from the virus.

Current CORONA Antidotes and expected Vaccines 

COVID-19 has been the biggest game-changer of everyone’s life around the globe. It originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then it gained power and somehow traveled to more than 180 countries. At present, this virus has it’s confirmed cases of over 1.3 million including 73000 deaths across the globe. But if we become a little positive and see the brighter side, 2,50,000 people have been recovered and discharged as well. But the major issue lining right now is that there has been no vaccine to treat and kill this virus which gives it the power to attack again to the recovered patient. a lot of recovered cases who got this virus again were reported in China. 

In India, this virus first confirmed case was on the 30th of January, 2020. Since then, within three months including a month of lockdown, the cases increased to 4,421 including 114 deaths and this rate is quite deadly. The death toll will keep on increasing until a proper vaccine jumps in. the treatment has been going on India through a combination of anti-malaria, anti-Swine flu and anti-HIV drugs resulted in the recovery of three patients in March in Rajasthan. On 23 March, the National Task Force for COVID19 constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID19 for high-risk cases. 

Till now it is expected that the first COVID-19 vaccine will be prepared by the Chinese Health Ministry soon. They have claimed to launch it and start testing it by the end of April 2020. Till then, a lot of countries and their medical research centers are trying to develop vaccinations through various theories but none of them has been approved yet. 

Following are those:-

Fusogenix DNA vaccine by Entos Pharmaceuticals

Entos Pharmaceuticals is developing Fusogenix DNA vaccine developed using the Fusogenix drug delivery platform to prevent COVID-19 infections. Fusogenix drug delivery platform is a proteo-lipid vehicle that introduces genetic payload directly into the cells.

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 by University of Oxford

The University of Oxford’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is an adenovirus vaccine vector developed by the university’s Jenner Institute. The university is testing the vaccine in a clinical trial planned to be conducted in the Thames Valley Region. Approximately 510 volunteers aged between 18 years and 55 years will be enrolled for the study.

Gimsilumab by Roivant Sciences

Roivant Sciences is advancing the development of Gimsilumab a clinical-stage, human monoclonal antibody. The drug targets granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine found in high levels in the serum of COVID-19 patients. Targeting GM-CSF is expected to reduce lung damage and reduce the mortality rate in COVID-19 patients.

AdCOVID by Altimmune

Altimmune has collaborated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to develop a single dose intranasal vaccine for COVID-19 named AdCOVID. The company is currently carrying out immunogenicity studies after, which phase one clinical trial material will be developed.

Coronavirus vaccine by Medicago

Medicago is developing drug candidates against COVID-19 after having produced Virus-Like Particles (VLP) of the coronavirus. The company has formed a collaboration with Laval University’s Infectious Disease Research Centre to develop antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

The company’s research activities are being partly funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).

Remdesivir (GS-5734) by Gilead Sciences

An ebola drug developed by Gilead Sciences that was found to be ineffective is now being tested in two phases III randomized clinical trials in Asian countries. The trials are being performed on 761 patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study at multiple hospitals in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The results from the trials are expected to be available over the next few weeks.

According to a report by The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Remdesivir, when administered to a coronavirus patient in the US, appeared to have improved the clinical condition.

HIV drugs for coronavirus treatment

Abbvie’s HIV protease inhibitor, lopinavir is being studied along with ritonavir for the treatment of MERS and SARS coronaviruses. The repurposed drug is already approved for the treatment of HIV infection under the trade name Kaletra®

The combination is listed in the WHO list of essential medicines. Lopinavir is believed to act on the intracellular processes of coronavirus replication and demonstrated reduced mortality in the non-human primates (NHP) model of the MERS.

A tablet named LOPIMUNE, which was manufactured by Cipla is suggested to come back in the manufacturing process as it’s combination is expected to help the patients and can be a proper vaccine solution to get over this virus.

Apart from all of the above, there has been even more countries who are putting their lives in danger to protect us. They are trying to put their possible knowledge into action and save us from this monstrous virus.

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