How to Develop Life-Saving Drugs Much Faster

How to Develop Life-Saving Drugs Much Faster

International and Arab News

The Covid-19 pandemic would look very different if scientists had been able to develop a treatment sooner. The death rates are likely to have been far lower, and it may have been harder for myths and misinformation to spread the way they did.

In the early days of the pandemic, I expected a treatment to come along well before any vaccines were available. I wasn’t alone: Most people I know in the public health community felt the same way. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Safe, effective Covid vaccines were available within a year — a historic feat — but treatments that could keep large numbers of people out of the hospital were surprisingly slow out of the gate.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. As soon as the coronavirus was identified, researchers started looking for the holy grail of treatments: an antiviral drug that’s cheap, easy to administer, effective for different variants and capable of helping people before they get too sick. Scientists explored dozens of potential treatments, including hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, remdesivir and convalescent plasma. Some showed promise, but all had drawbacks.

In late 2021, a few of their efforts paid off — not as soon as would have been