Promising treatment for Covid-19?

[mnhtnbb]

An existing medicine can “downgrade” the danger-level of coronavirus to that of a common cold, a Jerusalem researcher is claiming, after testing it on infected human tissue.

Prof. Yaakov Nahmias says that his research shows that the novel coronavirus is so vicious because it causes lipids to be deposited in the lungs, and that there is a solution to undo the damage: a widely-used anti cholesterol drug called fenofibrate.

“If our findings are borne out by clinical studies, this course of treatment could potentially downgrade COVID-19’s severity into nothing worse than a common cold,” Nahmias said.


Unlike remdesivir, which is being lauded for its effect on coronavirus patients, fenofibrate, sometimes sold under the brand name Tricor, is already accredited by America’s Food and Drug Administration and is in plentiful supply. Remdesivir is in short supply and is also still pending full approval by regulators like the FDA.

Nahmias, director of Hebrew University’s Grass Center for Bioengineering, reached his conclusion in joint research with Dr. Benjamin tenOever at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center. Their paper has gone live on an online portal run by Cell Press, publishers of biomedical journals, for research that hasn’t yet been peer reviewed.

Link to paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3650499

Full article: https://www.timesofisrael.com/existing-drug-may-downgrade-covid-threat-to-common-cold-level-jerusalem-study/

The researchers are hoping to advance into animal studies in the US within the next few weeks and fast track studies in both the US and Israel.

I don't believe this has been widely reported in the US media yet, has it? I found it because a company that I follow, AbbVie, makes Tricor (fenofibrate) and I saw a report of this in the business press and eventually connected to the article in The Times of Israel.

[FarPoint]

1. Maybe so...

Interesting concept...but many 50 plus adults already are on such a drug to lower cholesterol including Tricor...they didn't share dosage...so.. I'm open.

[LonePirate]

2. Much of the harm from COVID is due to what it does to the blood and its transport systems.

That is what is causing all of the damage to the lungs and other other organs and it is why it is causing strokes in people. The lipids in the lungs are a result of that problem. Any medicine that deal with the blood's problems and the circulatory system's problems should be able to help fight the effects of the virus.

[unblock]

3. if this this med helps and it's already in use for other reasons, a study should be possible

based on existing information. just look to see how many covid-19 patients are already on this med, and what the results are.

if the results for people already on this med are better than average, controlling for age and so on, then that's good confirmation.

it may be the case that use of this med is uncommon in confirmed patients. if so, that's an even more encouraging finding as it means suggests that those on this med don't get sick enough to get tested to go to the hospital in the first place.

[Blue_true]

9. Very good suggestion. nt

[0rganism]

4. So now Kushner has to corner the Tricor market too?

this is getting expensive -- good thing he has all the taxpayer money he needs to set up the Trump med monopoly

[mnhtnbb]

6. Tricor is made by AbbVie which reports revenue in the neighborhood of $32 billion

so I doubt that Kushner has the $$ to buy up 51% of shares.

[0rganism]

8. I'm sure Mr. Kushner will shed a tear when he writes the check

and both the Treasury secretary and IG will no doubt send a strongly-worded letter warning about how unethical such an action would be

[la-trucker]

5. 99.9% of the things that work in tissues don't work in live humans

The key phrase in there is “If our findings are borne out by clinical studies"

[mnhtnbb]

7. Yes, and that's precisely why they want to fast track the studies.

[Goodheart]

10. I take Crestor regularly. Wonder if that helps.