Solidarity Trials

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

The World Health Organization said that clinical trials of the repurposed anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for treatment of covid-19 will resume, after a committee reviewed the available data for the drug.

Concept:

• Solidarity” is an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, launched by the World Health Organization and partners.
• The Solidarity trial will compare four treatment options against standard of care, to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19.
• By enrolling patients in multiple countries, the Solidarity trial aims to rapidly discover whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival.
• Over 90 countries including India are working together to find effective therapeutics as soon as possible, via the trial.
• Four treatment options:

1. The chloroquine-hydroxychloroquine combination to prevent entry of virus using ACE 2 receptor
2. Lopinavir-ritonavir to prevent replication of virus by inhibiting enzymes used for replication
3. By understanding structure
4. By understanding virus behavior

• WHO says that while randomized clinical trials normally take years to design and conduct, the Solidarity Trial will reduce the time by 80%.
• The Union health ministry has permitted the trial for four drugs: Remdesivir, Lopinavir, Interferon (beta-1a) and hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.