A closer look at 4 drugs used to treat COVID-19; What is it that really works? – CBS Denver

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, ivermectin, and monoclonal antibodies are some of the most talked about drugs when it comes to COVID-19. But what are the best treatments to fight the coronavirus?

KTVT-TV in Dallas visited Dr Robert Gottlieb of the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute to find out more about each.

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“There are a lot of therapies that work on paper, or even in the lab, that don’t work when you give them to a human. Says Dr Gottlieb. “We have to remember that we are not trying to process a virus in a test tube, we are trying to process a virus in a human.”

At the start of the pandemic, doctors tried everything to save lives, including some treatments that have now proven to be less effective than previously thought. With more research, doctors have a better understanding of which ones actually work and have the science and data to back them up.

“We clearly studied hydroxychloroquine,” said Dr. Gottlieb. “We have shown that the promise is a false promise, this is one of the best studies in the world, and it just doesn’t help for the virus.”

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial medicine also used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Early studies have shown promise in the lab, and doctors believed the drug might help keep people’s immune systems from overreacting, but Gottlieb said peer-reviewed studies found it didn’t benefit. not to patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

“We can chart a very complex path of why it should work, but we can’t make it effective therapy. Data is data, ”he explained.

A second promising treatment, at least for severe cases of COVID, is remdesivir, an antiviral drug. “Remdesivir reduces the length of hospital stay, regardless of the level of oxygen support required in the hospital. It actually saves lives, ”Gottlieb said.

The drug received full FDA approval last October for use in adult and pediatric COVID patients 12 years of age and older requiring hospitalization. It is still under study for outpatient use.

Another potential treatment that is getting a lot of attention is ivermectin. It is FDA approved to treat certain parasitic worms, head lice, and skin conditions like rosacea. It has also shown some antiviral properties, but the jury is still out on whether it can be used as an effective treatment for COVID-19. Clinical trials are ongoing, but Gottlieb said it was just too early to know if this was helpful.

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“We haven’t completely refuted it, but we have no evidence at this time that it works,” Gottlieb said. “So, at the moment, we don’t know that answer. There is no recommendation for this. Personally, I do not prescribe it.

Human grade ivermectin requires a prescription, but it is also a medicine used for animals. Due to its popularity on blogs and social media, there have been reports of people raiding feed stores to purchase the animal grade version. Gottlieb said it was dangerous and could prevent someone from getting treatment that has been proven to work.

“If someone thinks they are protected by ivermectin and they are not, you simply prescribe a version of a placebo and you lose the opportunity to seek treatment with effective therapy,” Gottlieb said. “From that point of view, it’s really harmful, because it gives the illusion of protection. “

The most promising outpatient treatment currently is monoclonal antibody therapy.

“If you have one or more mild symptoms, no matter how mild, these are the patients we studied, and we have shown that we can prevent 70 to 87% of those patients from being hospitalized,” Gottlieb said. . “We could actually save lives, if used early. “

Gottlieb said there are three different manufacturers and there is no comparative data on effectiveness. He said the one that’s on the shelves of your healthcare system is the right one. Various centers have opened all over Texas to provide the therapy for free. The doctor said that outside of clinical trials, it’s important to stick with what we know will work.

“Even when I conducted the research, I was really convinced that therapy X Where therapy yes would really work, ”explained Dr Gottlieb. “When we finished the study and figured out who’s who, I was very touched by this response. “

Another type of drug, according to Gottlieb, is helpful, and is also cheap and readily available: corticosteroids. They have been shown to be beneficial for hospital patients who need oxygen, but can actually be harmful for those who are not.

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Gottlieb said the best defense is to get the shot. He also said that there was nothing wrong with taking vitamins D and C or a multivitamin. He said that while they might not really have an effect on the virus, there are definitely downsides now and they can make you feel more positive. This mentality in itself is powerful.