Hey Health Deskers,
This week we’ve got a roundup for you on clinical trials for some promising new COVID-19 drugs, including a decades-old antidepressant and more research on new monoclonal antibodies. Merck is opening up its molnupiravir license to a UN-backed nonprofit, which will hopefully aid in wider distribution of the potentially life-saving treatment. Our scientists are also unpacking the science behind aspirin, antiperspirants and how COVID-19 vaccines don’t lead to cancer.
First, a look ahead…
Old meds, new purpose
Two recent studies highlight the potential for existing meds to serve as treatments for COVID-19. Fluvoxamine (brand name Luvox) is an antidepressant that is inexpensive, widely accessible, and has been around since the 1990s to treat mental health issues like depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. In a clinical trial out of Brazil, scientists found that taking the medication within seven days of symptom onset reduced the length of patients’ hospital stays.
The data comes from the largest study of its kind, involving roughly 1,500 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients in 11 cities who received 100 milligrams of fluvoxamine twice a day for 10 days.
These exciting findings might be happening because of a number of potential effects from the medication, including its anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet, or possible antiviral properties. We hope this leads to more studies on other antidepressant medications and drugs with similar mechanisms. They may have the potential to decrease hospitalizations and reduce treatment costs, but much more research is needed.
Merck sharing COVID-19 treatment recipe
American pharmaceutical company Merck agreed last week to share its license for molnupiravir, an experimental COVID-19 medication, with the United Nations-backed nonprofit Medicines Patent Pool. The hope is that, by sharing its license, the drug can be produced and distributed in more than 100 countries. Molnupiravir has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in some cases. It can serve as a significant treatment option for people facing the diagnosis.
The antiviral medication's formulation would be shared through a voluntary licensing agreement. While it’s still subject to regulatory approval, its potential to help infected patients may aid nations struggling with the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines. Though the vaccines and molnupiravir work in different ways, increasing the number of proven treatments against the virus may be helpful in fighting the spread of the virus and its impacts from various approaches.
Another monoclonal antibody to the rescue?
GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology announced results from their phase the clinical trial for a monoclonal antibody called sotrovimab. It’s designed for high-risk patients early in their diagnosis, and aims to prevent COVID-19 from progressing to more severe forms of the disease. The study included hundreds of non-hospitalized patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and with at least one risk factor for disease progression. While 17% of patients who took the drug reported side effects, it also reduced the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 in the trial by 85%, compared to the placebo group. One highlight from the publication is that more than 60% of study participants were Hispanic or Latino, an underrepresented group in COVID-19 trials, according to investigators. Our team hopes the next phases of research for the drug are just as promising, given its potential to limit disease progression.
Now: you asked, we answered. Here are the latest topics our scientists are unpacking for you
There is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines with cancer
Several studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines generate key immune-boosting white blood cells, called helper and killer T cells, specific to COVID-19. These help organize immune system responses and then kill infected cells. In contrast, COVID-19 vaccines have not been shown to suppress T cells. In fact, there is no evidence that shows coronavirus vaccines weaken the immune system, or make people more susceptible to cancer or other illnesses like autoimmune diseases. color of blood.
“The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive COVID-19 vaccines and, in some people with cancer, a booster shot as well. Many expert medical groups recommend that most people with cancer or a history of cancer get the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s available to them. Cancer patients tend to be more susceptible to severe disease due to the diseases' impact on the immune system and cancer treatments, in some cases, impacting the ability of the immune system to fight off additional infections.”
What is known about aspirin and its efficacy against COVID?
Low-doses of aspirin taken before the need for hospital admission due to COVID-19 might have a role in preventing COVID-19 complications, especially arterial thrombosis (a blood clot in an artery) and mechanical ventilation in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients.
“Research on the association between aspirin and COVID-19 is limited, and so far has only been carried out through observational studies which can only show associations, not causal relationships. As a result, more research, particularly randomized control trials which are designed to test causal relationships, are needed to understand the relationship between aspirin and COVID-19 outcomes.”
What do we know about breast cancer and antiperspirants?
There is currently no strong scientific evidence that shows antiperspirants cause breast cancer. Since antiperspirants tend to include aluminum and are applied near the breast tissue and lymph nodes, there has been great speculation about the potential for negative health impacts with consistent use. However, few studies have focused on the direct link between antiperspirant use and cancer. Those that do have found no conclusive link between the two.
“One theory suggests that aluminum could cause changes in the estrogen (a hormone) receptors of breast cells. This may seem worrisome, because estrogen can promote the growth of cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells, but current studies have shown that it is not clear much aluminum can actually penetrate through the skin. One study found that only .012% of the aluminum chlorohydrate from antiperspirant application was absorbed. For reference, a person would usually absorb much more of this compound through the foods they eat than through antiperspirant use.”
That’s all for this time folks, have a good week and we’ll be back soon with more science to share!