London: Oxford University said on Wednesday it would study whether the world's best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients, the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to hospital, Oxford said in a statement. The trial, called AVID-CC, will be aimed at treating people in the community, especially in care homes, the university said. Research has identified some treatments for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, including Gilead's remdesivir as well as the generic steroid drug dexamethasone. Care homes were particularly hard hit by the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK and other countries.

Source: Mint September 30, 2020 11:03 UTC