Sanction of new antiviral drug brings hope and confusion – Gulf Today

  • Date: 12-May-2020
  • Source: Gulf Today
  • Sector:Healthcare
  • Country:Gulf
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Sanction of new antiviral drug brings hope and confusion – Gulf Today

Sanction of new antiviral drug brings hope and confusion. Never have I seen that before in my life, and I'm 70 years old," said Schinazi, an expert on antiviral drugs at Emory University.. Outfoxing the virus: Like other drugs in its class, Remdesivir works by tricking viruses into incorporating the drug into their genomes.. In the past, that strategy has failed with coronaviruses, said Andrea Pruijssers, a researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who studies antiviral drugs.. Experts say that Remdesivir likely works best at earlier stages of the illness, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus is replicating rapidly.. The potential therapies include anti-inflammatory drugs used for arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, which help tamp down the patient's immune response.. The arrival of Remdesivir also reminded physicians of the first drug to show effectiveness against HIV: the antiviral AZT.. "Now we have drugs (for HIV) that are extremely safe and they help people live for 30-plus years," said Dr. Jain. ".