The world is braced against the new Coronavirus. With curfews, border closures and quarantine measures.

A targeted drug against Sars-CoV-2-induced lung disease Covid-19 belongs not yet to the Arsenal in the fight against the pandemic.

However, the research is in full swing. Experts rely mainly on drugs that are already being tested for other applications. This would have to be before your approval is not as extensively tested.

So the tübingen physicians want to test the drug chloroquine in the fight against Corona disease. Already in the upcoming week should be started with a study in humans.

Chloroquine is actually a medication against Malaria. It is active against many viruses, the researchers say. Also against Sars-CoV-2, such as at least Trying in a test tube showed.

Most of the people infected with Sars-CoV-2, do not require medications. About 80 percent of those Infected recover, according to the world health organization, WHO, without any special treatment.

However, it can also lead to a severe disease process with respiratory problems. Mostly the people from high-risk groups such as Cancer patients in chemotherapy, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions are.

“You will be treated like a Patient who has a severe pneumonia – just that we have no antibiotic such as in the case of a bacterial infection,” explains Susanne Herold, who has been at the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen as a Professor for infectious diseases of the lung.

The patient would be supplied with oxygen or artificial respiration.

Studies on Corona-drugs run

So far there is no vaccine that prevents infection under. A specific-acting drug might help heavy gradients to mitigate or eliminate.

If you look at ClinicalTrials.gov the largest database of clinical trials, according to studies Covid-19, which are in preparation or already a participant record, you end up currently significantly more than 50 hits.

In many of these investigations, medicines or active ingredients are tested, have already been developed in connection with other diseases, and investigated – including in addition to chloroquine, the Hepatitis drug Ribavirin and a cure for Multiple sclerosis (Fingolimod).

“Repurposing” is the name experts give this way, in which already for a particular purpose, tested in the medium for a purpose other repurposed approach. Most of the clinical studies run in China, because there are the largest number of patients that can participate.

For the examination in question, among other things, substances that inhibit the multiplication of viruses, or prevent, that they penetrate into the cells, so-called anti-virals, according to the Association of Research-based pharmaceutical companies (vfa).

Ebola drug against the Coronavirus?

High hopes professionals rely on the substance Remdesivir. It was originally developed against Ebola infections, but in the clinical trial no good results.

A certain degree of efficacy against Mers-Coronavirus, which was discovered in 2012. Now doctors want to check whether the active ingredient may also for the treatment of Covid-19.

Currently, five studies have been initiated in China and the USA – with the Mediterranean. First patients have received Remdesivir already, in the United States Covid are including 19 patients from on Board the “Diamond Princess”, the cruise ship, which had been set for two weeks because of the Coronavirus in the port of Yokohama in Japan, under quarantine.

At the beginning of April, the first results could be available. Until an officially approved drug, regardless of the active ingredient is available, but is expected to take many months.

To clinical studies, one cannot but also in the case of already known means. It saves, however, in the case of the authorisation of a preparation in a best-case time.

“In an admission-three basic things to be clarified method, namely, the effectiveness, the impact and the technical quality of a drug,” explains vfa-speaker Rolf Hömke.

“Is a drug approved for a different application, it is checked the compatibility and the technical quality of evidence. It must be proven that the cure for the disease.”

Already researched active ingredients can occur under certain circumstances faster in the Phase of the clinical trial, in which the medium to larger groups of patients will be tested and then if successful, testing is also faster to be approved.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)

*The contribution of “well-Known preparations of the Test drug against Corona-disease afflicted with high pressure” will be released by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.