Old is gold? Study finds 2,000-year-old medicine aiding in faster recovery among COVID-19 patients

2 | Next crop of COVID-19 vaccine developers take more traditional route: The handful of drugmakers dominating the global coronavirus vaccine race are pushing the boundaries of vaccine technology. The next crop under development feature more conventional, proven designs. The world will need several different vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, given the sheer size of global need, variations in effects on different populations, and possible limits of effectiveness in the first crop. Many leading candidates now in final-stage testing are based on new, largely unproven technology platforms designed to produce vaccines at speed.

As global pharma giants race to find the cure for coronavirus, the use of a 2,000-year-old medicine has shown signs of faster recovery among COVID-19 patients.

A test trial carried by Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) on 105 Greek COVID-19 patients showed that the use of Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug prescribed for gout, has shown signs of clinical benefits.

Out of the 105 patients, 55 of them were given daily doses of colchicine for up to three weeks, alongside standard antibiotics and antivirals (but not remdesivir).

The test results reveal that participants who received colchicine had statistically significantly improved time to clinical deterioration. There were no significant differences in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin or C-reactive protein levels.

The health of the remaining 50 patients who did not receive colchicine clinically deteriorated to a severe stage.

While the drug has shown faster sign of recovery, doctors have stressed that the study size is too small.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, an emergency medicine physician in Orlando, said as per a report by Medical Express that the drug has been used to prevent heart conditions such as pericarditis and other inflammatory conditions affecting the body.

However, he believes the size of the trial is too small and more such studies need to be conducted for recommending colchicine as a routine drug to fight the coronavirus.

“Although it does show some early promise, future studies need to be conducted before we can incorporate colchicine as an extensively used medication to help combat COVID-19," Bahl said. 

Unlike many drugs being tested in hospital patients — which are given by infusion or injection — colchicine tablets are easy to take and are inexpensive.

The medication also has a long history of safe use for gout.