Potential Corona-drug: Uni-pharmacists provide pills for yourself here
The Malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is considered to be a potential agent for the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. Therefore, the demand for the drug is increased enormously, so that it is now come to bottlenecks in the supply. Scientists from Switzerland have begun, therefore, to tablets itself.
The German society of rheumatology e. V. recently noted in a communication to the fact that the demand for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is increased due to the current Situation in terms of COVID-19 strong. This has led, according to the experts, to supply bottlenecks. Also in Switzerland the possible Corona was a drug not available on the market. Therefore, pharmacists at the University of Basel have begun a generic medicine manufacture.
Effectiveness is examined in studies
How the University of Basel, writes in a recent communication, the active ingredient with the somewhat cumbersome name of hydroxychloroquine as a potential drug for the prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19.
How well the remedy for this is, is currently being investigated in several clinical studies. Part of these results have been published. These are not just positive.
So, Researchers reported from the USA in a on the Preprint Server medRxiv published articles that hydroxychloroquine has no positive effect on patients with COVID-19. In the drug-treated patients were quite on the contrary, the mortality rate increases.
Agents for the treatment of rheumatological diseases
However, other investigations are still in progress. Therefore, there is a race to the procurement of the active ingredient is still. India, one of the largest producers in countries that had banned the export in the meantime even.
Only after threats from the U.S. President, who had referred to the drug as a “Game Changer” and as a “gift from God” in the fight against the Coronavirus, gave India the Export in limited quantities again.
Hydroxychloroquine has anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and antiviral. It is predominantly used as an antimalarial agent used, but in Switzerland and in Germany also for the treatment of rheumatological disorders to the train.
To normal times, the active ingredient in the Form of film-coated Tablets available in stores, but, given the positive effect that you hoped for in the treatment of COVID-19, is the international market dried up.
This is particularly important for patients with a Problem, the need to Suffer the product for the treatment of chronic rheumatological.
Within ten days of a generic medicine produced
To bridge this shortage of supply, has started a team of scientists from the University of Basel under the direction of Dr. Maxim Puchkov thus, the tablets themselves.
“At the last Minute,” says Prof. Jörg Huwyler from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was able to obtain 50 kg of the active ingredient hydroxychloroquine at a Swiss intermediary. A part of the active ingredient was German hospitals as emergency relief. 40 kg of the remaining material will be managed by the Swiss Federal office for national economic supply.
In the meantime, the researchers have developed from Basel to a pharmaceutical method of tablet manufacture, which can be orally administered. “My Team has produced within ten days of a quasi-generic,” says Huwyler.
The information, according to the pharmacists have made a first Batch of 4,000 tablets, which would be enough for the treatment of 400 patients. Currently, the pills store as a potential therapy Reserve in the hospital pharmacy of the University hospital of Basel.
Overall, could be from the existing active ingredient but 200,000 doses for a total of 20,000 patients to produce. The production of logs will be provided soon in the Form of a scientific publication is free.
Drug with strong side effects
Professor Huwyler, according to hydroxychloroquine is used in Switzerland, already experimentally used for the treatment of hospitalized patients, and in patients who are severely ill with COVID-19.
However, given the limited availability and the risk of strong side effects Doctors who had previously been very reluctant to prescribe the drug.
“We hope that with our production, contribute to overcome the current shortages of supply in Switzerland,” says Huwyler.
This would also relax the Situation of chronic patients and patients in need of these treatments. (ad)