TWO MORE DRUGS RECOMMENDED FOR COVID-19 BY 'WHO'

TWO MORE DRUGS RECOMMENDED FOR COVID-19 BY 'WHO'

Context:

The World Health Organisation (WH0) has recommended two drugs, baricitinib, and sotrovimab, for Covid-19 treatment.

Sotrovimab:

• GlaxoSmithKline develops it with Vir Biotechnology Inc (US partner).
• It is an investigational monoclonal antibody used to treat conditions caused by a coronavirus.
• WHO recommends its use in the treatment of Covid-19, which is mild or moderate in patients at high risk of hospitalisation.
• This includes older patients, less immunity, lower status such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, and are not vaccinated.
• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also authorised the use of emergency medical care (EUA) to treat Covid-19 moderate to moderate in patients over 12 years of age.

Baricitinib:

• Doctors also use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
• It has been recommended in patients with severe or severe Covid-19 combined with corticosteroids.
• It is part of a class of drugs called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.
• These suppress the overstimulation of the immune system.
• It is an oral drug, and it provides other arthritis drugs called Interleukin-6 receptor blockers, recommended by WHO in July 2021.