> The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved the “emergency use” of molnupiravir, an antiviral drug that is proving very effective against the coronavirus. A whole range of other drugs can also prevent corona patients from ending up seriously ill in hospital. Some of these can even be used preventively.
>
> In recent months, much has been said and written about vaccines that protect against the coronavirus. Much less attention has been paid to drugs that prevent people from becoming seriously ill.
>
> You can divide these drugs into two major groups: monoclonal antibodies and antivirals. They work in very different ways, but they have one thing in common: they turn off the coronavirus, so you get less sick.
>
> **Oral antivirals prevent the virus from multiplying**
>
> Oral antivirals are best taken as soon as possible after you are infected. You can take them in pill form. An infusion or injection is not necessary. This is a big advantage over other medications for covid.
> Oral antivirals keep the virus from multiplying. “They do that in different ways,” says Johan Neyts. “For example, they can shut down the virus’ ‘copying machine.’ That way the virus can no longer multiply and you become less seriously ill.”
> Antivirals can also be used preventively. “We are currently investigating that in hamsters,” says Neyts. “The results are promising.”
>
> Antivirals are not new. They have been used with great success for years, for example, to treat HIV, herpes infections, viral hepatitis and influenza. Molnupiravir was developed as an antiviral drug for the treatment of influenza. Recent research shows it is also effective in treating (mild) covid infections.
> Pfizer recently completed a large study on the effect of a new antiviral drug against covid. The drug has the difficult name PF-07321332, although fortunately the brand name Paxlovid is easy to remember. The drug is said to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by no less than 89 percent. A “game changer,” say many experts.
> Another important virus inhibitor is remdesivir, a drug developed in the fight against Ebola. “Studies in covid patients were disappointing,” says Johan Neyts. “That’s because the drug was administered too late, when patients were already hospitalized with severe covid. If you get there in time, remdesivir does seem to be very effective. The manufacturer is currently developing remdesivir in pill form. Today the drug is only available in the form of an infusion.”
> Another antiviral drug is favipiravir, a Japanese flu drug. “This is already being used in Russia, Serbia, Turkey, India and Japan,” says Johan Neyts. “We expect the results of a large British study soon.”
>
> Antivirals seem to be a powerful weapon in the fight against covid, but there is one possible catch. Viruses can become resistant to viral inhibitors, just as bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. “We are investigating this as well,” says Johan Neyts. “The good news: the coronavirus doesn’t seem to be becoming resistant to antivirals any time soon. So things are looking good, although resistance remains a possibility.”
>
> **Monoclonal antibodies prevent virus from infecting cells**
>
> Antibodies are one of the main weapons of our immune system. They are produced when the immune system encounters invaders. You can also create antibodies biotechnologically, using the antibodies of patients who have already recovered from an infection. In this case, one speaks of “monoclonal antibodies”.
> Monoclonal antibodies latch onto the now infamous spike protein. In this way they prevent the virus from entering our cells. This slows down the infection, making patients less seriously ill. Only condition: you have to administer the drug in time. If you wait too long, monoclonal antibodies are less effective.
> “Monclonal antibodies can also be used preventively,” says Johan Neyts. “Preventive use reduces the chance that you will contract the infection on contact with someone who is already infected. That can be useful, for example, for infections in an assisted living facility.”
>
> **Monoclonal antibodies are administered by infusion or injection into the muscle.**
>
> “An infusion is only possible within a hospital context,” says Neyts. “An injection can be done by the general practitioner.”
> Monoclonal antibodies are not a recent invention. They are used to treat a variety of conditions, from rheumatism and psoriasis to even certain cancers. They now appear to help treat COVID-19 as well. U.S. President Donald Trump can speak for himself. When he was infected with the coronavirus, he received experimental treatment with monoclonal antibodies.
> “Monoclonal antibodies have been used for a few months to treat covid infections,” says Johan Neyts. “The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently gave approval for use of Regkirona and Ronapreve in adult covid patients. Previously, some monoclonal antibodies were already approved , but only for use in emergency situations.”
>
> **Are oral antivirals better than monoclonal antibodies?**
>
> Oral antivirals have one major advantage over monoclonal antibodies: the patient can take them at home, in pill form. When administering monoclonal antibodies, medical assistance is always required.
>
> Does this mean that we should henceforth focus only on antivirals? “Certainly not,” says Neyts. “We don’t have that luxury. We can’t put aside any anti-coronavirus drugs. We’re going to need them all.”
>
> “With these new agents, we will have to move quickly,” says Neyts. “I expect and hope that in addition to the approval of molnupiravir, the European Medicines Agency will also approve PF-07321332 (brand name: Paxlovid) soon. We need to make sure that we have these drugs available as soon as possible. Protocols also need to be developed for distribution and use. It is important that we take timely action.”
I’m happy we’re becoming better and better at treating Covid, but I seriously am not looking forward to people claiming they don’t need a vaccine because “look, we can just use other medicines, no worries!”
2 comments
> The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved the “emergency use” of molnupiravir, an antiviral drug that is proving very effective against the coronavirus. A whole range of other drugs can also prevent corona patients from ending up seriously ill in hospital. Some of these can even be used preventively.
>
> In recent months, much has been said and written about vaccines that protect against the coronavirus. Much less attention has been paid to drugs that prevent people from becoming seriously ill.
>
> You can divide these drugs into two major groups: monoclonal antibodies and antivirals. They work in very different ways, but they have one thing in common: they turn off the coronavirus, so you get less sick.
>
> **Oral antivirals prevent the virus from multiplying**
>
> Oral antivirals are best taken as soon as possible after you are infected. You can take them in pill form. An infusion or injection is not necessary. This is a big advantage over other medications for covid.
> Oral antivirals keep the virus from multiplying. “They do that in different ways,” says Johan Neyts. “For example, they can shut down the virus’ ‘copying machine.’ That way the virus can no longer multiply and you become less seriously ill.”
> Antivirals can also be used preventively. “We are currently investigating that in hamsters,” says Neyts. “The results are promising.”
>
> Antivirals are not new. They have been used with great success for years, for example, to treat HIV, herpes infections, viral hepatitis and influenza. Molnupiravir was developed as an antiviral drug for the treatment of influenza. Recent research shows it is also effective in treating (mild) covid infections.
> Pfizer recently completed a large study on the effect of a new antiviral drug against covid. The drug has the difficult name PF-07321332, although fortunately the brand name Paxlovid is easy to remember. The drug is said to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by no less than 89 percent. A “game changer,” say many experts.
> Another important virus inhibitor is remdesivir, a drug developed in the fight against Ebola. “Studies in covid patients were disappointing,” says Johan Neyts. “That’s because the drug was administered too late, when patients were already hospitalized with severe covid. If you get there in time, remdesivir does seem to be very effective. The manufacturer is currently developing remdesivir in pill form. Today the drug is only available in the form of an infusion.”
> Another antiviral drug is favipiravir, a Japanese flu drug. “This is already being used in Russia, Serbia, Turkey, India and Japan,” says Johan Neyts. “We expect the results of a large British study soon.”
>
> Antivirals seem to be a powerful weapon in the fight against covid, but there is one possible catch. Viruses can become resistant to viral inhibitors, just as bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. “We are investigating this as well,” says Johan Neyts. “The good news: the coronavirus doesn’t seem to be becoming resistant to antivirals any time soon. So things are looking good, although resistance remains a possibility.”
>
> **Monoclonal antibodies prevent virus from infecting cells**
>
> Antibodies are one of the main weapons of our immune system. They are produced when the immune system encounters invaders. You can also create antibodies biotechnologically, using the antibodies of patients who have already recovered from an infection. In this case, one speaks of “monoclonal antibodies”.
> Monoclonal antibodies latch onto the now infamous spike protein. In this way they prevent the virus from entering our cells. This slows down the infection, making patients less seriously ill. Only condition: you have to administer the drug in time. If you wait too long, monoclonal antibodies are less effective.
> “Monclonal antibodies can also be used preventively,” says Johan Neyts. “Preventive use reduces the chance that you will contract the infection on contact with someone who is already infected. That can be useful, for example, for infections in an assisted living facility.”
>
> **Monoclonal antibodies are administered by infusion or injection into the muscle.**
>
> “An infusion is only possible within a hospital context,” says Neyts. “An injection can be done by the general practitioner.”
> Monoclonal antibodies are not a recent invention. They are used to treat a variety of conditions, from rheumatism and psoriasis to even certain cancers. They now appear to help treat COVID-19 as well. U.S. President Donald Trump can speak for himself. When he was infected with the coronavirus, he received experimental treatment with monoclonal antibodies.
> “Monoclonal antibodies have been used for a few months to treat covid infections,” says Johan Neyts. “The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently gave approval for use of Regkirona and Ronapreve in adult covid patients. Previously, some monoclonal antibodies were already approved , but only for use in emergency situations.”
>
> **Are oral antivirals better than monoclonal antibodies?**
>
> Oral antivirals have one major advantage over monoclonal antibodies: the patient can take them at home, in pill form. When administering monoclonal antibodies, medical assistance is always required.
>
> Does this mean that we should henceforth focus only on antivirals? “Certainly not,” says Neyts. “We don’t have that luxury. We can’t put aside any anti-coronavirus drugs. We’re going to need them all.”
>
> “With these new agents, we will have to move quickly,” says Neyts. “I expect and hope that in addition to the approval of molnupiravir, the European Medicines Agency will also approve PF-07321332 (brand name: Paxlovid) soon. We need to make sure that we have these drugs available as soon as possible. Protocols also need to be developed for distribution and use. It is important that we take timely action.”
I’m happy we’re becoming better and better at treating Covid, but I seriously am not looking forward to people claiming they don’t need a vaccine because “look, we can just use other medicines, no worries!”