Interesting, thanks! A potential new treatment for those very ill with Wuhan Red Death, and good news on vaccine front.
Max Dillon Charleston SC Jul 21, 2020 3:24:49 PM archer75--- via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com>: > The Oxford vaccine appears to have surpassed expectations > > The Spectator, 20 July 2020, 12:09pm > > Dr Waqar Rashid > > It has been yet another busy medical day in our ‘new-normal’ coronavirus > world. Today, the Phase One results of the University of Oxford vaccine were > published, confirming positive reports tantalisingly leaked last week. Also > making the news is a press release from the pharmaceutical company Synairgen, > touting very positive initial results from its inhaled protein, > interferon-beta, in treating hospitalised patients with coronavirus. > > In days gone by the publishing of results of a Phase One vaccine study would > barely generate a ripple, even in the relevant medical speciality. But of > course, this is no ordinary trial and we are truly in extraordinary times. > > All medical products undergo a trial process, starting with studies which > look purely at safety (not efficacy). Many trials fail at this stage. You may > recall the disastrous Northwick Park study in 2006 which saw six healthy > young people develop multiple organ failure from exposure. Once this hurdle > is passed then a larger scale trial to look at efficacy is undertaken and if > successful, a licence is applied for and distribution follows. > > Today, the preliminary findings for ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (the Covid-19 vaccine) > appear to show that it has surpassed expectations. Firstly, the safety hurdle > seems to have been met, although 70 per cent of the 1,077 volunteers > apparently did report fever or headache. Secondly, and in line with the > bullish press releases last week, the vaccine garners both an antibody and > T-cell response which it is hoped may provide lasting immunity to the > disease. This is vital as studies have shown that patient antibody levels may > fall after just three months. > > There are the usual caveats: the study was over a very small timeframe and > was not intended to show if it is a working vaccine, so we know little of its > long-term safety or effectiveness. Nevertheless, it is now full steam ahead > for the larger Phase Three study and the likely riches of being first on the > market. > > Make no mistake, a vaccine is the only game in town as far as the Department > of Health and the World Health Organisation see it. Despite the continued > fall in hospitalisations due to Covid-19 in the UK and the significant > reduction in deaths, a return to pre-March 2020 normal life seems a long way > off. ‘Cases’ continue to rise in some areas and there is talk of local spikes > and lockdowns. Masks will soon be compulsory in shops (something that was not > the case at the peak of the epidemic) and of course we still await a possible > ‘second wave’. Boris Johnson on Saturday promised a return to > ‘near-normality’ by Christmas, but given that is bang in the middle of the > respiratory virus season, this would seem grossly optimistic. A > ‘game-changer’ is needed to break the cycle of cases and restriction. > > There is actually a coherent argument to be made that cases (positive tests > without infection) matter little, as spread from this is at best rare and it > may also reflect a move towards community immunity which may allow us to live > with this virus. However, the government and scientific advisers have put all > their eggs in the vaccine basket. > > The larger Phase Three trial for the Oxford vaccine is already recruiting in > Brazil, because there are not enough serious infections in the UK, and a > license and production deal has already been signed with AstraZeneca to > supply the UK with over 90 million vaccines from as early as September. A > subsequent mass vaccination programme would then likely follow. Suddenly the > promised Christmas normality would become possible. Hence, a working and safe > vaccine is fundamental to these ambitions. > > As I mentioned previously, there is an almost unseemly worldwide race to be > the first to develop an effective and safe vaccine. Today’s results, combined > with the UK’s block purchasing already underway, confirms Oxford’s > credentials as the definite frontrunner. > > Yet the other development of the day: the finding that an inhaled protein, > interferon-beta, may dramatically reduce severe Covid-19 lung disease and > hospitalisation, may also have a bearing. The preliminary study reported by > its pharmaceutical sponsor, Synairgen, from a modestly-sized 100 patient > study at the University of Southampton suggests (but no more than that) two > very important things. > > Firstly, severe Covid cases may become much more treatable, which could have > a significant bearing on future fatalities if a so-called second wave does > emerge. Certainly, initial assumptions of treating the condition have now > been turned on its head with the dash for ventilators now replaced with > stockpiling of dexamethasone and possibly now interferon-beta. > > Secondly, given both dexamethasone and interferon-beta are medications which > reduce or modify the immune system, this tells us is that it's immune > dysregulation as a result of the virus, and not a direct attack from the > virus itself, that is key to a number of Covid deaths. This is very important > as it could give reassurance to a number of people on immunosuppressive > medications for other medical conditions that they may not be at a > significant increased risk from the virus. This also may, rightly in my > opinion, move more focus onto prevention of Covid-19 with good general health > and diet and adequate levels of vitamin D, so that we have an optimally > healthy immune system. All these things tend to be negatively impacted by > lockdowns. Finally, it should also be noted that Synairgen’s results await > peer review and scrutiny. > > Expect more developments very soon. What is taking shape is an undoubtedly > impressive scientific and medical response to this virus with the UK playing > a significant role. Whatever one’s feelings about the necessity of needing a > Covid-19 vaccine, the reality has definitely moved a step forward today and > it is not inconceivable that it could become available before the year is > out. Coupled with other new treatments that may be coming, huge medical > advances have been made but there is still much work ahead. > > • > > Dr Waqar Rashid is a consultant neurologist at St George's University > Foundation Hospital NHS Trust, London. This article is a personal view and > does not necessarily represent the views of the Trust. > > https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-oxford-vaccine-appears-to-have-surpassed-expectations > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
