Virus drug trial shows encouraging results

The clinical trials of anti-Covid-19 intravenous immunoglobulin (C-IVIG), developed by the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) for treating the novel coronavirus, has shown encouraging results, claimed the varsity on Saturday.

According to a DUHS statement, the administration of C-IVIG to patients with severe infection has led to a 100 per cent recovery rate while a 60 percent recovery rate was observed among critical patients admitted to intensive care units or on ventilators.

As per the statement, more than 50 per cent of the patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital within five days after doctors started giving them C-IVIG.

The drug was produced by a DUHS team led by Dr Shaukat Ali under the supervision of DUHS vice-chancellor Dr Saeed Quraishy.

In this regard, Dr Ali told the media that C-IVIG was prepared by chemically purifying the plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients.

He said that though the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority had given permission for collecting convalescent plasma for the purpose, the required amount of C-IVIG could not be prepared due to a decline in donations coinciding with the rise in Covid-19 cases. He added that clinical trials for C-IVIG started in June and were sped up given the pandemic's escalation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2020.