THE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is gearing up for the Solidarity Trial, a worldwide trial of the four medications in search of the most effective cure of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
In the trial, Covid-19 positive patients will be administered with the Remdesivir, which was used to fight Ebola virus; the Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine, which is a medication for malaria; and the Lopinavir with Ritonavir, and Lopinavir with Ritonavir plus Interferon beta-1a, which are administered for people infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
SPMC infectious diseases specialist Marie Yvette Barez said the trial is expected to start next week as soon as their protocol is approved by the ethics review board of the World Health Organization (WHO) that initiated the trial.
She said they have also assigned a doctor who will handle the study.
“Because this is a research, the usual medications will be given and (the result) will be compared with the new medication like Remdesivir. It is the new antiviral that they are trying to test because, in other countries, it has shown good results,” she said.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), SPMC is one of the 21 hospitals in the Philippines that will participate in the Solidarity Trial with at least 500 patients.
In a statement, WHO said that as of April 21, 2020, some 100 countries have already proceeded with the trial.
“By enrolling patients in multiple countries, the Solidarity Trial aims to rapidly discover whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival. Other drugs can be added based on emerging evidence,” it said.
Other countries who joined the trial included Malaysia, Thailand, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland.