Archives: 2020-06-06

PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-06

Study identifies inhibition of Bruton tyrosine kinase as potential approach to treat severe respiratory distress in patients with COVID-19

Early data from a clinical study suggest that blocking the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) protein provided clinical benefit to a small group of patients with severe COVID-19. Researchers observed that the off-label use of the cancer drug acalabrutinib, a BTK inhibitor that is approved to treat several blood cancers, was associated with reduced respiratory distress

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-05

Convalescent plasma found safe in initial peer-reviewed study of Houston Methodist Hospital on severe Covid-19

Patients (n = 25) with severe and/or life-threatening COVID-19 disease were enrolled at the Houston Methodist hospitals from March 28 – April 14, 2020. Patients were transfused with convalescent plasma obtained from donors with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and had recovered. The primary study outcome was safety, and the secondary outcome was clinical status at day

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-05

Emory doctors find link between hyperviscosity, clotting and inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Potential role for plasma exchange.

After noticing unusual blood clotting in many patients diagnosed with COVID-19, doctors at Emory University believe there may be a connection to the thickness of their blood, known as hyperviscosity, with inflammation and clotting. The correspondence, which links hyperviscosity and severity of illness, has been published in The Lancet’s online first section. “It has been a mystery

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-04

A published trial on Convalescent Plasma in Covid-19 doesn’t show conclusive results but severely ill patients recovered five days faster

Infusions of antibody-rich blood plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus, so-called convalescent plasma, failed to make a difference in a study of hospitalized patients in China, researchers reported on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a randomized trial involving 103 COVID-19 patients, convalescent plasma made no difference in

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-02

First clinical trial of COVID-19 antibody therapy started. Why should be better than convalescent plasma ?

Eli Lilly has begun dosing COVID-19 patients in a phase 1 trial of its AbCellera-partnered antibody. The initiation of the trial, which happened ahead of schedule, marks the start of a new phase of the response to SARS-CoV-2 in which study subjects will receive drugs designed specifically for the virus. The first clinical trials of drugs to

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-02

Two meters apart from each other is far more effective than just one at reducing the risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2.

Two-meter distancing might halve infection risk compared to one meter, according to a new review analysis in The Lancet.  The researchers combed through 172 observational studies across 16 countries and then applied statistical analysis to pull out estimates of of risk of infection. The models they used on nine key studies found that transmission of viruses

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-06-02

APPA: New effective treatment for harmful effects of neutrophils in inflammatory diseases found at the Liverpool University

New research conducted by the University of Liverpool and AKL Research and Development Ltd (AKLRD), published in Inflammopharmacology, highlights the potential benefits of a new drug treatment on the human body’s immune response in inflammation. In a number of inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and, more recently, COVID-19, major complications and extensive tissue damage can occur

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-05-29

Adjunct Immunotherapies for the Management of Severely Ill COVID-19 Patients. Convalescent plasma role in cytokine and proteolytic storm fighting.

In this Perspective, published on Cell Reports Medicine http://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100016, the role of the different immunotherapeutic approaches, including convalescent plasma, is analysed. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has infected 5,85 millions, with more than 361,000 fatal cases as of May 29, 2020. Currently, there are no

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2020-05-29

Interferon beta-1b for COVID-19

A phase II clinical trial has found that a combination of three drugs — interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir, and ribavirin — plus standard care is successful in treating mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19. This three-drug combination also shortens the duration of viral shedding — that is, the period during which the virus is detectable in a person’s

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