Virus Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Why Do I Have a Lump in My Neck?

The AHA! Team — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 06:24:42 +0000

Morgan deBlecourt via Duke Health – Learn the Causes of Neck Lumps and When to See a Doctor for Care If you notice a lump in your neck, it’s important to be evaluated by a doctor quickly. Here, Duke Health head and neck surgeon Trinitia Cannon, MD, discusses causes of neck lumps and when you should see a head and neck specialist. What Causes a Lump in Your Neck? According to Dr. Cannon, most reasons for a lump in your neck are not life-threatening. The most common cause is swollen lymph nodes due to a virus or an infection like tonsillitis or strep throat. This is a standard immune system response that occurs when your body works to fight off sickness. A recent or active fever points to this as the culprit. Other possibilities include thyroid nodules, cysts, or benign (non-cancerous) tumors or other growths such as fluid-filled sacs called lymphangiomas or hemangiomas, vascular birthmarks comprised of extra blood vessels. When Should I Worry About a Lump in My Neck? “In terms of potential red flags, we’re looking for lumps that have been present for more than two weeks and are not associated with signs or symptoms of infection,” Dr. Cannon said. “There’s also a higher risk if you’re older than 40, the lump is bigger than 1.5 centimeters (about the width of your index finger) in diameter, you have multiple lumps, the lump has skin changes or ulcers, or if a lump is attached to surrounding tissues.” Can a Lump in the Neck Be a Sign of Cancer? Certain types of cancer can cause a lump in your neck. These include: Laryngeal (voice box) cancer Lymphoma Oral cancer Oropharyngeal cancer Salivary gland cancer Skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma) Thyroid cancer When to See a Doctor If the lump in your neck hasn’t gone away in a few days, make an appointment with your primary care doctor or visit an urgent care. Tell them about any recent cold symptoms, contact with sick people, Covid exposures, drenching night sweats, difficulty swallowing or speaking, breathing problems, pain in your ears or throat, and unanticipated weight loss. This information can help your doctor identify the underlying cause, Dr. Cannon said. When to See a Specialist Your primary care doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection that could be causing your lymph nodes to swell. However, if the lump persists after one round of antibiotics, it’s critical to make an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT) who specializes in head and neck surgery, ideally within two weeks, Dr. Cannon said. This is especially important if you’re over 40, smoke or use other tobacco products, or drink alcohol, since these factors increase your risk of head and neck cancer. An ENT may recommend a needle biopsy to diagnose the lump. During this procedure, your doctor uses a syringe to collect cells from your lump or a nearby lymph node. The sample is tested in a laboratory for the presence of cancer. Surgery for a Lump in Your Neck An ENT may recommend surgery to remove the lump in your neck, but not until after performing a thorough exam and testing to determine exactly what the lump is and the best approach to treatment. Be wary of doctors who suggest surgery without an established diagnosis. “If your doctor wants to cut the lump out to make a diagnosis, that’s not appropriate, just in case it is cancer,” Dr. Cannon said. Doing so makes it more difficult to stage the cancer, meaning how advanced it is and whether it has spread. Premature surgery can also make treatment more complex and increase your risk of complications, including spreading the disease, and could disqualify you from participating in clinical trials. What’s My Next Step? If your neck mass persists and is associated with worrisome signs and symptoms, it is important to seek care from a specialist who sees and treats a lot of neck masses. “It is important to follow certain steps in the diagnosis and treatment of neck masses,” Dr. Cannon said. “You can be certain that the head and neck surgeons at Duke are qualified to give you the best advice and care.” To read the original article click here.

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Antibodies Perform Best After Covid Infection, Not Vaccine

AHA Publisher — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:00:07 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Over time, the number of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies falls in both previously infected and vaccinated people, but the performance of antibodies improves only after previous infection and not vaccination. This groundbreaking research, led by Dr. Carmit Cohen of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in April. Cohen’s finding may explain why previously infected patients appear to be better protected against a new Covid infection than those who have only been vaccinated. She and her colleagues analyzed antibody-induced immune response in 130 recovered individuals for up to a year and compared it to 402 matched individuals who were double-vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine but never had Covid-19. The researchers found that the numbers of antibodies a month after vaccination were higher than those in the Covid-19 recovered patients. However, these numbers declined more steeply in the vaccinated group. While the avidity (antibody performance quality) index was higher in vaccinated individuals than in recovered patients initially, avidity did not significantly change over time in vaccinated individuals but increased gradually in recovered patients. This could explain why double-vaccinated individuals who never contracted Covid-19 are more likely to experience infection after six months. The study also found that, contrary to expectations, antibodies of recovered patients with a body mass index of 30 or higher (in the obese range) were higher at all time points when compared with those with a BMI under 30 (overweight to normal weight range). The obese people who had been previously infected were therefore better protected against future infection. Of all recovered patients, 42 (36%) experienced long Covid including mental health (5%), neurological (9%), cardiovascular (5%) and respiratory (31%) symptoms. The authors conclude: “While the number of antibodies decrease with time in both Covid-19 recovered patients and vaccinated individuals, the quality of antibodies increases following infection but not after vaccination. These results provide specific characteristics of the immune response that may explain the differential protection against Covid-19 in previously infected and vaccinated individuals.” To read the original article click here.

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Discover the AMAZING Health Benefits of Echinacea

AHA Publisher — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 08:00:44 +0000

Wendy Miller via NaturalHealth365 – As days go by, more and more people come to realize that supporting our bodies’ natural defenses is the best strategy when facing invisible viruses and other potential invaders. Thanks to Mother Nature’s generosity, we do not lack natural ways to fight off viruses, strengthen our immune systems and maintain optimum health. Thankfully, herbs like echinacea do exactly that, bolster our immune system and help our body fight off a variety of illnesses. Echinacea Is Rich in Antioxidants, Boosts the Immune System Echinacea is known to be rich in antioxidants. Why are antioxidants important? Because antioxidants are potent fighters against free radicals that cause oxidation in the cells and control the free radicals found in our environment. Free radicals cause changes in the cells of our bodies that lead to various types of cancer and other health conditions that can be chronic and debilitating. Including echinacea in your nutritional regimen is a great way to get the antioxidants you need to boost your immune system. But Wait, There Is More! Echinacea Has Antiviral and Antibacterial Properties In addition to being rich in antioxidants, echinacea is both an antiviral and an antibacterial. Its ability to fight both viruses and different types of bacteria makes it an effective immune system supporter. Including it in your herbal supplements strengthens your body, making it more resistant to many of the most common illnesses we face. Thanks to its unique chemical composition, echinacea is one of the most potent herbs on the planet we can use to defend against ailments that affect most age groups. Reap the MULTIPLE Health Benefits of Herbal Remedies Several benefits can be gained by using herbal remedies to treat or even help prevent various types of illnesses and diseases. When combined with other natural remedies like olive leaf extract and goldenseal, echinacea can dramatically enhance the potency of the other components. Echinacea has few known side effects and boosts the immune system and other defense mechanisms within the body so that every ingredient in the supplement is used to its fullest advantage. How Should I Take This Powerful Herb? Echinacea can be found in many forms. You can purchase it in capsule form, which is suitable for adults. Many herbal tea formulas contain echinacea. Most teas that contain echinacea are safe to be given to children in small amounts. Tinctures are also made using echinacea and offer the maximum amount of antibacterial/antiviral protection when a few drops are added to a cool beverage. Don’t Forget About Living a Healthy Lifestyle In addition to adding echinacea and other herbal supplements, it’s also important to live a healthier lifestyle. For example, exercising three to four times a week for 30 minutes and walking on alternate days will strengthen both your body and mind. Eating a healthy diet will provide the fuel you need to stay active and fit. Relax and get the rest you need every day. At least eight hours of sleep is necessary to help the body reset, recharge, and repair itself daily. Bringing it all together and a healthy lifestyle that includes the most potent herbal remedies will keep even the most vigorous viruses or bacteria at bay. Do a little research if you want to learn more about herbal supplements, especially echinacea. You may “just” be amazed at what you will learn. Sources for this article include: Herbs.news WebMD.com MountSinai.org Healthline.com To read the original article click here.

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An Old Drug Saves Lives of COVID-19 Patients

AHA Publisher — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 07:00:02 +0000

McMaster University via Newswise – Hamilton, ON (Oct. 27, 2021) – An inexpensive repurposed drug called fluvoxamine can save the lives of COVID-19 patients and cut hospital admissions by up to 30 per cent, says a study co-led by McMaster University. McMaster researcher Edward Mills and his team treated 739 randomly selected Brazilian COVID-19 patients with fluvoxamine, with another 733 receiving a placebo, between Jan. 15 to Aug. 6 of this year. Every patient who received fluvoxamine during the trial was tracked for 28 days to determine their health outcomes and if they still need hospital treatment. Researchers found about a 30 per cent reduction in hospitalizations among those receiving fluvoxamine compared to those receiving the placebo. This effect went up to 65% among patients taking all of their drugs. The fluvoxamine trial formed part of the larger TOGETHER Trial that started in May 2020, aiming to test potential COVID-19 treatments in a community setting. “Fluvoxamine is, so far, the only treatment that if administered early, can prevent COVID-19 from becoming a life-threatening illness. It could be one of our most powerful weapons against the virus and its effectiveness is one of the most important discoveries we have made since the pandemic began,” said Mills, co-principal investigator for the TOGETHER Trial and a professor of McMaster’s Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact. TOGETHER Trial researchers published their findings in The Lancet on Oct. 27. “In addition, this cheap, easily-accessible pill is a massive boon to public health, both in Canada and internationally, allowing hospitals to avoid expensive and sometimes risky treatments.” Costing about $4 per 10-day course, fluvoxamine could be a game-changer for poorer countries with low vaccination rates and lacking access to more advanced COVID-19 therapies, he added. Fluvoxamine has been used since the 1990s for various conditions and its safety profile is well-known. It was identified early in the pandemic for its potential to reduce the cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. Cytokine storms are severe immune responses to COVID-19 that can cause potentially lethal organ damage. Joining McMaster’s scientists in the TOGETHER Trial were researchers from the CardResearch Cardiologia Assistencial e de Pesquisa LTDA in Brazil. The TOGETHER trial researchers have also submitted their research to the U.S.-based National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization. External funding for the study was received from FastGrants and The Rainwater Foundation. To read the original article click here.

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Top Israeli Doctor Says Ivermectin Could Help Treat COVID, Urges More Research

AHA Publisher — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 07:00:32 +0000

Chris Mitchell via CBN News – JERUSALEM, Israel – In the battle against COVID-19, most of the world has turned to vaccines as the main line of defense. Still, a number of doctors and hospitals are looking for other options that could potentially play a role in defeating this global pandemic. Several treatments have seen success in treating the disease, such as Regeneron and Remdesevir. The drug Ivermectin also continues to generate interest. While the FDA and other organizations advise against it, one Israeli doctor is reporting positive results in clinical trials. Professor Eli Schwartz is with the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, considered one of the world’s top hospitals. For decades, Prof. Schwartz has traveled the world fighting outbreaks like Dengue Fever and Ebola. He also began the Travel Medicine and Tropical Disease Institute at Sheba. At the beginning of the pandemic and months before any vaccine, Israel’s Defense Ministry assigned Schwartz to find a medical solution for COVID-19. Professor Eli Schwartz. Photo: CBN News “Since Ivermectin is one of the drugs that we are using in daily life in the Tropical Institute, I knew it. I know the safety profile of it. And since there was some hints of in-vitro studies, which show the efficacy against specifically, even against COVID-19, we decided to go for it.” That meant putting the drug through a clinical trial that lasted ten months. “Our study, which was done here, it’s a randomized controlled trial, double-blind. It’s really, I would say, this is the best method that you are doing studies. And our conclusion is that it really has antiviral activities,” Shwartz told CBN News. From his international experience in the field, Schwartz knew Ivermectin targeted parasites. Since its development in 1987, nearly 4 billion doses with few side effects and at low cost have protected millions of people from insidious parasitical diseases like River Blindness and Elephantiasis. That success won its developers the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2015. Schwartz’s study made headlines in Israel when his trial showed Ivermectin to also be anti-viral. “This is the first drug to show antiviral activity. And then, I think, there’s a good reason to continue with a much more thorough investigation to see, for example, whether people who are at high risk, may not deteriorate to be hospitalized, to be mechanically ventilated, or to death.” Schwartz’s clinical study found that by day four, 86% of his patients who took ivermectin recovered. By day six, 94% recovered. “The bottom line is that … Ivermectin decreased faster the viral load, and also sterilized the culture much better compared to the placebo,” he said. Schwartz explained to CBN News this means Ivermectin killed the virus and his patients were non-infectious. Schwartz says this could save lives and reduce quarantines by days. “It’s a huge change in life. It’s a huge change for the patient. It’s a huge change for his family. And from the economical point of view, it’s a dramatic change. You know, it’s how much money you can save for the economy of the country, if you can shorten the isolation time,” he said. But ivermectin is not accepted by the global health establishment. A major FDA concern is that a number of people have tried to self-medicate using a form of the drug intended for livestock. “Don’t do it. There’s no evidence whatsoever that it works and it could potentially have toxicity, as you just mentioned, with people who have gone to poison control centers because they’ve taken the drug at a ridiculous dose and wind up getting sick,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci. The World Health Organization advises “that Ivermectin only be used be used to treat COVID-19 within clinical trials.” The National Institutes of Health says, “Ivermectin is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of any viral infection” and that “well-conducted clinical trials are needed to provide more specific, evidence-based guidance on the role of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19.” For studies to be accepted by the broader medical community, it must be peer-reviewed and published in a medical journal. That’s where Prof. Schwartz hit a roadblock. Several journals turned him down, but one is currently reviewing his study. “It’s something really very odd. I mean, in my career, I published, I think at least 300 papers and chapters, and I never heard the story that they have with Ivermectin. I think that this kind of international campaign, anti-Ivermectin; same that we have anti-vax, anti-vaccine, we have anti-Ivermectin. I don’t understand,” said Schwartz. Schwartz added that while many health agencies want better studies, no large-scale trials on ivermectin happened until Oxford University began one in June of this year. “I mean, it took them 18 months from the beginning of the pandemic to try to do it. I mean, people dying all over the world. And you have drug under your hand and you have to wait so long until you get any conduction of a good study,” he said. Now, the pharmaceutical company Merck, which developed Ivermectin, and Pfizer are in a race to produce an oral anti-viral drug for COVID that some believe is what Ivermectin could do already. “In my view, the whole story of Ivermectin is much beyond Ivermectin. It’s even beyond the corona. The problem is that we are in the arms of the pharma and the pharma is looking for new drugs. And, therefore, all old drugs which might be with a good potential to use it for whatever you’re looking for, there’s not any parents to push for it,” Schwartz claimed. Prof. Schwartz advocates the use of Ivermectin but also believes in the vaccine. “Most of the world, still vaccine is not available. So, if we have a medication that can try to reduce the magnitude of the pandemic in the meantime, that’s absolutely needed, but when, if I have to compare the vaccine and Ivermectin for prevention, no doubt the vaccine. This is the solution, the international solution,” he said. Schwartz hopes more research will prove the drug can help fight this pandemic and that it will eventually be allowed to treat patients on a widespread basis and not just within clinical trials. To read the original article click here.

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Antifungal and Antidepressant Drugs Can Effectively Inhibit COVID-19 Virus

AHA Publisher — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 07:00:39 +0000

Wiley via News-Medical – New research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology indicates that two currently available medications–an antifungal drug and an antidepressant–can effectively inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19 in laboratory cells. Investigators found that the antifungal itraconazole and the antidepressant fluoxetine each blocked the production of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell culture lab tests. When either drug was used in combination with the antiviral drug remdesiver, the combination showed synergistic effects and inhibited the production of SARS-CoV-2 by more than 90%. “Preventive vaccination and therapeutic medicines against COVID-19 are both required to effectively combat pandemics caused by emerging zoonotic viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.” (Ursula Rescher, PhD, Study Senior Author, University of Muenster, Germany) To read the original article click here.

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UV Radiation Kills Virus That Causes COVID-19 in Lab, Study Finds

AHA Publisher — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 07:00:07 +0000

Ohio State University via Newswise – COLUMBUS, Ohio – A specific wavelength of ultraviolet radiation killed more than 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in laboratory tests, a new study has found. The results could offer an encouraging option for inactivating the virus that causes COVID-19 from surfaces or, potentially, from the air. It is the first study to demonstrate that specific doses of UV222, a relatively short wavelength of ultraviolet radiation, may be a feasible and safe approach to disinfecting COVID-19. The study appears on a preprint server and has not yet undergone a formal peer review by other scientists. “The special thing is that this wavelength is effectively absorbed by the SARS-CoV-2 genome and the proteins of the virus,” said Natalie Hull, lead author of the study and assistant professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering at The Ohio State University. “And because of that, it was likely able to damage the proteins that perpetuate the virus infection cycle. And we think that’s why this is so effective.” The findings mean that UV222 could be a safe way to disinfect spaces contaminated by COVID-19, the researchers said. “This is the first time anyone has done something with the real virus, and as best we can tell, this is a wavelength that’s safe for humans,” said Richard Robinson, co-author of the study and associate professor of microbial infection and immunity at Ohio State. “And so theoretically, this could be a way of decontaminating that would be safer for people, and would also kill the virus.” There are caveats to the study. The findings, while encouraging, are “a starting point,” Hull said. The researchers tested the effectiveness of UV to destroy SARS-CoV-2 in a liquid solution, which is usually a more difficult medium to disinfect than air. But the study did not test UV222’s ability to kill the virus in the air or on non-liquid surfaces, and any real-world solution to fighting the virus in spaces where people live, work or play must be effective in those spaces. An open room would include other factors not tested in this study, including varying temperatures, humidity and air flow, Hull said. She said the UV light destroys the proteins and nucleic acids that make up the virus, essentially disabling it. Destroying the proteins and nucleic acids makes it impossible for the virus to replicate and complete the cycles necessary to infect people. “It’s basically like scrambling a protein with heat,” Hull said. “You’re applying energy and it breaks the bonds to change the structure. And these cell processes responsible for replicating the genome and making more virus components or binding to the host cell don’t happen in the same way, so it halts the infection cycle.” The researchers knew that ultraviolet radiation could inactivate coronaviruses, a broad category of viruses that includes SARS-CoV-2. (The common cold, for example, is also a coronavirus; UV radiation has been shown to destroy it as well.) But most commercially available UV lamps emit rays that are long enough to penetrate skin, making them a potential cancer risk. And little information is known about how much UV radiation is necessary to kill SARS-CoV-2. UV222 is a shorter wavelength of ultraviolet radiation than the rays that reach people from the sun, and previous studies have shown that UV222 is not likely to cause skin cancer and other health problems associated with UV radiation. (The “222” refers to the size of the wavelength — 222 nanometers. These wavelengths from the sun are mostly consumed by Earth’s atmosphere before they reach us.) The study was performed on samples of the COVID-19-causing virus that were cultivated and reproduced in a special laboratory on Ohio State’s campus designed to manage biologically dangerous pathogens and viruses. The research team obtained the samples from the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository, an arm of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Researchers directed UV222 at samples of the virus held in a liquid suspension, then tested to see how much of the virus was destroyed and how long the UV radiation took to destroy it. They tested times ranging from 15 seconds to 15 minutes. Robinson, who has studied tuberculosis and other lung pathogens and who is associate director of Ohio State’s Biosafety Level 3 lab where the tests were conducted, said he was overwhelmed by what they saw: A near-total destruction of the virus, after only a few minutes. “When we started these experiments last summer, it was at the time when nothing was working to stop COVID,” Robinson said. “And this was so rewarding, because immunologists were still unsure what to do and here was this thing where we could just zap the virus and see this immediate effect.” Hull and Robinson intend to continue testing UV222 in real-world conditions, and Hull said she is optimistic. “We found the virus is really wimpy when confronted with UV222,” she said. “And our findings are a conservative estimate – liquid is this nice place where the virus is much happier than in a room full of air. We don’t know for sure, but I think it’s reasonable to think it might work in the air, too. We need to do the experiments to find out for sure.” This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.

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Pre-Existing Coronavirus Antibodies Could Help Protect Children Against New Pandemic Strain

AHA Publisher — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:00:22 +0000

The Francis Crick Institute via EurekAlert – Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have found that some antibodies, created by the immune system during infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 and may confer a degree of protection against the new viral strain. In response to infection with a virus, the immune system creates antibodies to help fight it. These antibodies remain in the blood for a period after infection, and in the case of re-infection, they are able to tackle the virus again. In their paper, published in Science today (Friday 6 November), the scientists found that some people, notably children, have antibodies reactive to SARS-CoV-2 in their blood, despite not ever having being infected with the virus. These antibodies are likely the result of exposure to other coronaviruses, which cause a common cold and which have structural similarities with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers made this discovery while developing highly sensitive antibody tests for COVID-19. To see how well their assay tests were performing, they compared the blood of patients with COVID-19 to patients who had not had the disease. Surprisingly, they found that some people who had not been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had antibodies in their blood which would recognise the virus. To confirm their findings, they analysed over 300 blood samples collected before the pandemic, between 2011 and 2018. Nearly all samples had antibodies that reacted with common cold coronaviruses, which was expected given how everyone has been exposed to these viruses at some point in their lives. However, a small fraction of adult donors, about 1 in 20, also had antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2, and this was not dependent on recent infection with a common cold coronavirus.* Notably, such cross-reactive antibodies were found much more frequently in blood samples taken from children aged 6 to 16. Kevin Ng, lead author and post-graduate student in the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “Our results show that children are much more likely to have these cross-reactive antibodies than adults. More research is needed to understand why this is, but it could be down to children being more regularly exposed to other coronaviruses. “These higher levels we observed in children could also help explain why they are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. There is no evidence yet, however, that these antibodies prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection or spread.” In the lab, the researchers tested the antibodies they found in blood from uninfected people to confirm they are able to neutralise SARS-CoV-2. They found the cross-reactive antibodies target the S2 subunit of the spike protein on the surface of the virus. George Kassiotis, senior author and group leader of the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “The spike of this coronavirus is made of two parts or subunits, performing different jobs. The S1 subunit allows the virus to latch onto cells and is relatively diverse among coronaviruses, whereas the S2 subunit lets the virus into cells and is more similar among these viruses. Our work shows that the S2 subunit is sufficiently similar between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 for some antibodies to work against both. “It was previously thought that only antibodies to the S1 could block infection, but there is now good evidence that some antibodies to S2 can be just as effective. This is exciting as understanding the basis for this activity could lead to vaccines that work against a range of coronaviruses, including the common cold strains, as well as SARS-CoV-2 and any future pandemic strains. “But it is important to stress that there are still many unknowns which require further research. For example, exactly how is immunity to one coronavirus modified by exposure to another? Or why does this activity decline with age? It is not the case that people who have recently had a cold should think they are immune to COVID-19.” A large study is now underway, in partnership with researchers at Imperial College London and University College London, to uncover the role that different antibodies and other immune defences play in protection against COVID-19 and how severely ill people become. To read the original article click here.

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Covid-19 Pneumonia Drug Candidate Being Prepared Rapidly

AHA Publisher — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:00:47 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – RedHill Biopharma of Tel Aviv is collaborating with two pharmaceutical manufacturers in Europe and Canada to ramp up manufacturing of its drug candidate opaganib (Yeliva) or severe Covid-19 pneumonia. The orally administered drug, which has anti-inflammatory and antiviral capabilities, could then meet potential demand for emergency use as the pandemic continues worldwide. Under a compassionate use program, Covid-19 patients treated with opaganib in an Israeli hospital were discharged without requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation, whereas one-third of the matched case-control group required intubation and mechanical ventilation. “Opaganib demonstrated potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, completely inhibiting viral replication in an in vitro model of human lung bronchial tissue,” RedHill reports. Opaganib is currently in global randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 and US Phase 2 studies in hospitalized patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen. The US Phase 2 study is approaching completion of enrollment in eight sites, with initial results expected before the end of this year. The Phase 2/3 study is enrolling up to 270 patients across 15 study sites in six countries by year’s end. RedHill is in discussions with US government agencies regarding rapid advancement of opaganib manufacturing toward potential emergency use applications. Opaganib also has the potential to target multiple oncology, viral, inflammatory and gastrointestinal indications. It has FDA orphan drug status for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and is being evaluated in a Phase 2a study in advanced cholangiocarcinoma and in a Phase 2 study in prostate cancer. For the ongoing studies with opaganib, click here

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