GAZETTE NEWS
The World Health Organisation announced on Wednesday that it would soon begin a worldwide clinical trial of three new candidate drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.
The global public health agency said the scheme is being undertaken in the latest phase of global solidarity clinical trials to find effective treatments against COVID-19.
Under the Solidarity PLUS programme, the therapies – artesunate, imatinib and infliximab – will be tested on hospitalised COVID-19 patients in 52 countries.
There have been more than 203 million cases of the disease recorded globally as of Wednesday, according to WHO.
The world hit the 200 million mark last week, just six months after cases passed 100 million.
Speaking during a press conference in Geneva, WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, underscored the critical need to find more effective and accessible COVID-19 therapeutics.
“We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat COVID-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers.
“But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical spectrum, from mild to severe disease.
