The Aga Khan University Hospital in Kenya has launched to treat coronavirus patients with Arthritis drug to limit the number of COVID-19 cases.
Kenya extends its lead as the most impacted country in the East and Horn of Africa region with the virus.
The coastal East African Country so far has 14,805 confirmed cases, 675 recoveries and 260 deaths.
Aga Khan University Together With Roche have hurled a study to find out whether the rheumatoid arthritis drug can be used to treat Covid-19 patients.
This drug claimed to treat the patients will be tested in 11 patients in the clinical trial.
Actemra (tocilizumab), an anti-inflammatory drug is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and has been reported by some news sources to be a potentially ‘life-saving coronavirus treatment.’
The drug seems to show promise for severe COVID pneumonia in early-stage research, but more research is needed.
In international studies, the anti-inflammatory drug has failed in a coronavirus trial.
The Kenyan Ministry of Health said the trial was based on a “recent finding by a team of clinical researchers at the University of Michigan.
The drug prevented death by 45 per cent in a controlled study of 154 patients with severe Covid-19 illness requiring mechanical ventilation.
“This is a watershed moment for Kenya and the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. That we can participate in an international clinical trial that is testing the effectiveness of this novel drug on patients here.” Dr Reena Shah, an associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases and the principal investigator of the study said.
“The Ministry lends its support to the global trial being conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital here in Kenya as one of the study sites. We commend our private sector partners, the Aga Khan University Hospital and Roche Kenya in bringing this study to Kenya,” Rashid Aman the Health Chief Administrative Secretary told the press.
Kenya still continues to battle with the COVID-19 pandemic with cases steadily rising each day.
The government has locked down a handful of counties including the capital Nairobi and imposed a night-time curfew as part of a containment effort to curb coronavirus.
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