Can Dexamethasone, a low-cost and widely used anti-inflammatory drug improve the survival in patients with COVID-19 and become a global warrior in fighting this Pandemic? It reduced deaths by a third among patients on ventilators and by a fifth of those receiving oxygen only. However there was no benefit among patients who didn’t need breathing support.
The steroid medicine which has been available as a generic for decades is the reason its cheap. Made by drugmakers including Mylan NVand Merck & Co., it’s used to treat a range of ailments including rheumatism, asthma, allergies and even to help cancer patients better handle the nausea triggered by chemotherapy.
U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted and shared a video that he is Delighted to announce the first successful clinical trial for a life-saving #coronavirus treatment which is reducing mortality by up to a third. He thanked his team\’s efforts for this global first exemplifies -the power of science.