National drug trial for Covid-19 launched at SU

Exercise aimed at evaluating how hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat Covid-19

SARGODHA: In search of reliable treatment for Covid-19, the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, on Wednesday launched a national drug trial at Sargodha University (SU).

The ‘Pakistan Randomised Observational Trial to Evaluate Coronavirus Treatment (PROTECT)’ is aimed at evaluating how hydroxychloroquine may be used to treat coronavirus alone or with other medicines.

UHS Vice-Chancellor Dr Javed Akram gave a briefing on the trial at a meeting held at the SU, which was attended by Vice-Chancellor Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad, Sargodha Medical College (SMC) Principal Dr Humaira Akram, Sargodha District Headquarters Teaching Hospital Dr Ghulam Shabbir and other senior medical specialists of the SMC.

While sharing the final version of the drug trial with 550 subjects, the UHS VC claimed that it was the biggest trial being carried on Covid-19. In the research centre, doctors from across Pakistan and other countries will conduct research on the genotype of the virus along with the mutations in it.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2020.