WHO unveils next stage of drug trials to fight COVID-19

The World Health Organization, or WHO, has said it will lead a further clinical trial to study the potential for three anti-inflammatory drugs to combat COVID-19 in infected patients, after the initial Solidarity Trial showed little or no effect in helping hospitalized patients.

Speaking at Wednesday's media briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the original Solidarity Trial, involving almost 13,000 patients in 30 countries, found that all four treatments evaluated — remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir and interferon — showed little or no effect on hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

He also announced the next phase in the Solidarity Trial, called Solidarity Plus, adding it will "test three drugs: artesunate, a treatment for severe malaria; imatinib, a drug for certain cancers; and infliximab, a treatment for immune system disorders such as Crohn's disease."

He said that these drugs were chosen by an independent panel of experts that evaluates all available evidence on their potential to reduce the risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The trial involves thousands of researchers at more than 600 hospitals in 52 countries.

The announcement came after the 200 millionth case of COVID-19 was reported to the United Nations' health agency last week, just six months after the world passed 100 million reported cases, although the real number of cases is believed to be much higher.

Tedros said: "At the current trajectory, we could pass 300 million reported cases early next year. But we can change that. We're all in this together, but the world is not acting like it.

"We already have many tools to prevent, test for and treat COVID-19, including oxygen, dexamethasone and IL-6 blockers (interleukin-6 receptor blockers). But we need more, for patients at all ends of the clinical spectrum, from mild to severe disease. And we need health workers that are trained to use them in a safe environment," he added.