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Oman joins trial of 3 potential drugs for COVID-19 treatment

31 Aug 2021

Oman has enrolled itself for the trial of three potential drugs, which the World Health Organization (WHO) approved for clinical trials to treat COVID-19 patients, said a WHO statement.

The sultanate is among seven countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region to join the WHO’s Solidarity PLUS clinical trial to evaluate three potential drugs – artesunate, imatinib and infliximab – aiming to protect people from severe hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 infection.

These drugs were selected by an independent panel of experts who assess all available evidence on all relevant therapeutics. The drugs have proven effective in treating other life-threatening diseases. Artesunate is used for severe malaria, imatinib for specific cancers, and infliximab for diseases of the immune system, such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers and scientists from Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are joining thousands of researchers in 52 countries worldwide in the study, making up the largest global collaboration on COVID-19 research and development, the WHO said.

“COVID-19 has been the most disruptive public health challenge in the past century. In less than two years, the pandemic has claimed over 4.5mn lives across the world, overwhelmed health systems, and disrupted economies and societies. It is critical that we find effective treatments to prevent severe hospitalisation and death caused by COVID-19,” said Dr Ahmed al Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

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