Dexamethasone, a cheap steroid, becomes first life-saving drug for COVID-19

According to the University of Oxford researchers, dexamethasone - a cheap and widely available drug – may reduce the risk of death among coronavirus patients with severe respiratory complications.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: June 17, 2020 11:26 am

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With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on unabated, it is heartening to see the progress made on the vaccination front. This disease has so far claimed at least 436,813 people globally and infected 7,941,791 others. In India too, the situation is no different and positive cases have been rising alarmingly every day. The efforts of scientists are now bearing fruit and many trials of possible cures are already underway. Some have even progressed to the stage of human trials. However, experts say that it may still be a while before we have a vaccine in the market. Also Read - Why fast-tracking COVID-19 vaccines can be dangerous?

Now, in what could be termed as the biggest breakthrough to date in the fight against the novel coronavirus, Oxford scientists claimed to have discovered the first life-saving drug for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Also Read - Could low-carb diets help prevent coronavirus complications?

Easily available drug raises hopes of scientists

According to the University of Oxford researchers, dexamethasone – a cheap and widely available drug – may be able to reduce the risk of death among coronavirus patients with severe respiratory complications. This drug was part of the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY) trial established to test a range of therapies for coronavirus infection. The cheap drug reduced deaths by one-third in ventilated COVID-19 patients. The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about 5 pounds per patient. So essentially it costs 35 pounds to save a life. This drug was first discovered in 1957 and is used in the treatment of allergic disorders, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, arthritis and some types of cancer. Also Read - Want to disinfect and reuse your N95 face mask? Autoclaving, alcohol may not be your best options

Scientists working on the RECOVERY trial said the steroid can reduce the risk of deaths by a third for coronavirus patients on ventilators, and by a fifth for those on oxygen. The world’s biggest trial included more than 11,500 patients, enrolled from more than 175 hospitals in the UK. The steroid, which is used to reduce inflammation in a range of other conditions, is given either as a tablet or via injection and costs about £5 per patient.

Drug cuts risk of death by almost half

In the trial, researchers administered as many as 2,104 patients randomly with dexamethasone 6 milligrammes once per day. Thy gave this drug to patients either by mouth or by intravenous injection for ten days. They saw that for patients on ventilators, the drug cut the risk of death from 40 per cent to 28 per cent. The drug also reduced the risk of death from 25 per cent to 20 per cent for patients requiring oxygen. They say that this is the first drug that shows promise. It improves survival in COVID-19. According to the researchers, the survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients.

Patients with milder symptoms may not benefit

According to the scientists, the drug is available globally and healthcare professionals can use it immediately to help save lives worldwide. They said that these preliminary results from the RECOVERY trial are very clear that dexamethasone can help save lives of patients who are seriously ill with COVID-19. The researchers believe that since the drug is inexpensive, it could be of huge benefit in poorer countries grappling with high numbers of Covid-19 cases. The drug, however, does not seem to help individuals with milder symptoms of novel coronavirus infection.

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(With input from Agencies)

Published : June 17, 2020 10:38 am | Updated:June 17, 2020 11:26 am

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