The beginning of the week started with good news for both the world and the pharma industry.
In a trial conducted by Oxford University, the patients were given a dose of dexamethasone steroid. The results showed that out of the 2,000 patients admitted in the hospital, for patients on ventilators, the drug reduced the death risk to 28%, while for the patients in need of oxygen – from 25% down to 20%. Without the necessity of hospital admission, 19 out of 20 patients recovered.
The drug is already used since 1960 for combating other conditions such as arthritis, various skin conditions, and asthma.
According to lead researcher Prof Peter Horby the treatment is administrated for ten days, and it costs around £5 per patient.
On the other hand, the drug didn't show signs of efficacy when given to mild-symptoms patients.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson applauded the breakthrough, and he considers it to be “a remarkable British scientific achievement.”
On the same day, as the study results became public, the UK government approved the drug as COVID-19 therapy. The government now has doses for treating 200,000 people. According to Johns Hopkins University, the UK is in the top three countries with the highest death rate after Brazil and the US.
After the news, UK100 closed higher by 2.3%.
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Sources: fiercepharma.com, marketwatch.com, bbc.com
