A rising star in the COVID-19 treatment arena, dexamethasone – a powerful corticosteroid – has stirred excitement among World Health Organization experts and researchers around the world, following the publication of promising early results from the United Kingdom’s Recovery trial.  In COVID-19 patients only receiving supplemental oxygen, the trial found that dexamethasone reduced mortality by […] Continue reading ->
In a series of flip-flops on Friday, the United Kingdom suspended the enrollment of new patients into the hydroxychloroquine arm of its massive RECOVERY trial, one of the largest randomised COVID-19 clinical trials in the world, after preliminary data showed “no benefit” for COVID-19 patients receiving the drug. The suspension of the trial came just […] Continue reading ->
A day ahead of a major pledging event, Gavi-the Vaccine Alliance has received some US $70 million in pledges from a broad range of corporations, foundations, initiatives and individual philanthropists to modernise, streamline and strengthen its delivery of vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, Médecins sans Frontières […] Continue reading ->
France rolled back recommendations on the use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, for severe COVID-19 patients, just two days after the World Health Organization suspended its large multinational hydroxychloroquine trial. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has authorized the use of remdesivir for severe cases of COVID-19. The drug showed modest potential to shorten the length of […] Continue reading ->
Low and middle-income countries urgently need affordable personal protective equipment, diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to ward off even bigger waves of COVID-19 infection and mortality – and global production capacity is failing to ensure timely supply even of those products now on the market. Now, more than ever, producers in poor countries need to be […] Continue reading ->
Routine vaccine campaigns, suspended worldwide in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, must be resumed immediately or else some countries could face a big surge in deaths from other preventable diseases, said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. Speaking at a press briefing Thursday, Berkley warned that routine immunizations for other infectious diseases such […] Continue reading ->