4 important points of Plitidepsin, the promising drug against COVID
Talks about vaccination, clinical advances and new drugs have become an important part of our normality. Now, it is a new drug that monopolizes the covers: it is the Plitidepsin, a Spanish antiviral that has shown good results to stop the COVID-19.
The pharmacological success was published this week in the prestigious magazine Science, so yeah it’s serious.
Illustrative photo: Cuartoscuro.
After such an important development or with those implications, it was only a matter of time before the good news will reach our cell phones, will flood our social networks and now is the Plitidepsin the fashionable drug that everyone seeks to obtain.
However, there is still a long time for this antiviral to be available for the battle against COVID-19.
We know that the matter is interesting, HERE you can find the full Science publication and here below they are 4 important points you have to know about the Spanish drug that has filled social networks with hope.
What is Plitidepsin?
The Plitidespine is a chemical compound that was obtained and isolated from a species of sea squirt called Aplidium albicans, which is found in shallow waters around the world.
Your trade name is Aplidin and was developed by the Spanish pharmaceutical company PharmaMar.
Photo: PharmaMar
It has demonstrated antitumor, immunosuppressive, and antiviral capabilities but — this is very important — barely it is in the testing stages. In fact, it has only been approved in Australia as a treatment for multiple myeloma cancer under a strict review system.
What did Plitidepsin do against COVID?
Evidence published this week in the journal Science states that Plitidepsin 27 times more effective in fighting COVID infection than another drug popularly used in the infection of SARS-CoV-2, the Remdesivir.
In addition, there is another impressive data that they published: it reduces 100 times more than expected viral replication in the lungs and prevents lung inflammation. It sounds very successful and it is indeed excellent news … but it leaves many doubts.
Photo: ..
The main focus of precaution is that the study where these results were found is very preliminary.
The study is pre-clinical.
According to the publication in the journal Science – and a different one than in the specialized portal bioRxiv – the tests that were done to find an effective treatment for COVID are only pre-clinical, that is, they were not carried out in humans.
The positive results of the Plitidepsin they were barely found in two mice studied.
Children turned into mice. / Photo: Warner Bros.
“Our pre-clinical data show higher potency compared to Remdesivirur, together with promising early data in COVID patients, we suggest that Plitidepsin be studied in depth as a possible therapy,” said the scientists of the University of San Francisco where the experiment was performed.
So what will happen to Plitidepsin?
Well, this is excellent news, we are not going to say no, but you do have to take it easy.
This Spanish antiviral will receive more evaluations on its effects against COVID and it will continue to be investigated —in at least three different phases with thousands of candidates— its possible implementation as an acceptable treatment.
While that happens, the Plitidepsin it will continue to be an experimental drug.
Illustrative photo: Cuartoscuro
Despite the positive results and its antitumor or immunosuppressive qualities, this Spanish drug has barely been approved in Australia, with very specific characteristics and still there is still a long way to go to celebrate their eventual arrival in Mexican hospitals.
Published at Sat, 30 Jan 2021 15:00:00 +0000