Gilead, Pfizer and Grifolsa fight against the clock for drugs that mitigate the damages of COVID-19

Between the latest coronavirus news, we find that large pharmaceutical chains have started, since a few months ago, the race to find a cure against the much feared coronavirus, which has affected the health, the economy and the life in general of many people, on a large scale, global.

Some of these pharmaceutical chains, which are doing the impossible to find a cure for COVID-19, are the US companies Pfizer Inc., Gilead Sciences, and the Spanish company Grifolsa.

To do this, the three companies have been carrying out different investigations, which could, in short, considerably help to stop coronavirus infections. Learn more about the topic below.

Latest coronavirus news or Covid- 19

A large number of studies, analyzes and investigations have been carried out worldwide, all with the same purpose: To adequately combat COVID-19.

However, there is one in particular, which has given much to talk about, and that is the use of a specific drug.

Latest coronavirus news: Remdesivir drug

The experimental drug Remdesivir from the US company Gilead Sciences, was approved by the FDA, on May 1, to be used in patients with COVID-19, and in this way, help them recover much faster.

This is of great importance, since it is the first drug that proves to be efficient in the fight against coronavirus.

How was the effectiveness of the medicine demonstrated?

The study conducted by Gilead Sciences, regarding Remdesivir, showed that the drug is able to shorten a patient’s recovery time, by 31 percent, which translates to four days less, on average, for patients who are find themselves hospitalized for the virus. That is why the FDA approved it.

The study included more than a thousand COVID-19 patients, and was compared with another group of people who received usual care in medical centers.

Those who received the drug were able to be discharged from hospitals in an average of 11 days, as opposed to the 15 days it took for people who were not treated with Remdesivir.

For this reason, the possibility of this drug reducing the number of deaths from coronavirus is also being considered, but it is not yet completely safe.

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Production in developed and underdeveloped countries

On the other hand, the company Gilead Sciences, also reported that it is currently in talks with the main companies in the world, specialized in creating chemicals and medicines, to produce the drug Remdesivir for developing countries, and for continents such as Europe and Asia.

He also added, through a statement, that he is negotiating with generic drug manufacturers in India and Pakistan, the possibility of granting long-term voluntary licenses, so that, in this way, the drug can reach countries with less economic capacity, or in process of development.

In the same way, to further facilitate this access to medicine to all underdeveloped countries, the pharmaceutical company is in talks with Unicef ​​to apply its extensive experience in supplying medicines to countries with little or middle income, during crisis of humanitarian emergency.

Coronavirus Vaccine News

In the case of the company Pfizer Inc., it is collaborating, in conjunction with BioNTech (which is a German pharmaceutical, with a lot of experience in vaccines) to develop a coronavirus vaccine news.

The vaccine is called BNT162, and it is expected that for the next phase of its investigation, 200 volunteers will participate, aged between 18 and 55 years. It is only awaiting authorization from the regulatory body, to start the trials in the United States.

Coronavirus latest news: Molecular test

In another vein, the multinational pharmaceutical company of Spanish origin, Grifols, also announced, through a statement, that it had developed a molecular test, which has a high sensitivity to detect the virus that causes COVID-19.

This test can be verified by plasma, by blood, and by respiratory samples, and they ensure that it may even have a higher sensitivity than other tests of this type.

Currently, the use of the molecular test is already approved by the Spanish Medicines Agency, as well as by Health Products.

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Other important research about Covid- 19

Among the latest news of the coronavirus, there are also some investigations that have been carried out by scientists to combat the virus, such as:

Modern (MRNA)

Moderna has created a vaccine program that has received great attention, globally. MRNA, is a biotechnology company that develops vaccines and therapies, and has already begun to dose patients with its experimental vaccine against COVID-19.

Very recently, the vaccine was declared “on the way.” Clinical trials require that the vaccine be administered in three doses, to human volunteers.

Currently, the first two doses have been tested and a third large dose is being administered, to check for adverse reactions.

Although creation of the vaccine is accelerating, there is still another 12-18 months to go before it can be made available on a massive scale, even if its use is approved, according to the company.

Read more about Remdesivir studies against coronavirus confirm positive results

Relationship between other vaccines and COVID-19

Among the latest coronavirus news, there are several studies, particularly with the tuberculosis vaccine (Bacilo Calmette-Guérin or BCG), which have found a correlation between those countries that require their citizens to apply this vaccine, and those that show fewer confirmed cases and fewer deaths from coronavirus.

This correlation is being investigated by doctors from at least 6 countries, who have carried out trials, where they administer to health workers and the elderly, the vaccine against tuberculosis, to determine if it effectively provides some type of protection.

The study was started when it was observed that some countries, such as Japan and South Korea, which have policies where all their citizens must, on a mandatory basis, apply the BCG vaccine, have better controlled the disease than in other countries, they lack such policies.