An oral drug to treat COVID-19 may be available soon. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have been looking for new ways to target an enzyme produced by SARS-CoV-2 called RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). A team of researchers led by Dr. Tracey Rouault from NICHD believes shutting down the enzyme RdRp, could potentially stop the virus from replicating. Having an approved oral medication to treat COVID-19 would be a serious game-changer.
At this time, Remdesivir is the only approved drug for treating symptoms related to COVID-19. However, Remdesivir alone is not sufficient treatment for all patients who may be hospitalized with severe symptoms from a COVID-19 infection. According to a study conducted by the NIH, Remdesivir has improved death rates and decreased the number of days patients were hospitalized. You can learn more about this new drug study here.
Sources:
Final Report Confirms Remdesivir Benefits for COVID-19. (October 2020). Retrieved from: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/final-report-confirms-remdesivir-benefits-covid-19
Potential Oral Treatment For COVID-19 Identified. (June 2021). Retrieved from:
Disclosure: (I am a writer and editor for the National Institutes of Health. Information contained in this blog post are not associated with my role at NIH).
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