US: In what could be termed as the biggest breakthrough to date in the fight against the novel coronavirus, Oxford scientists claimed to have discovered the first life-saving drug for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to the University of Oxford researchers, dexamethasone – a cheap and widely available drug – has been found to reduce the risk of death among coronavirus patients with severe respiratory complications.
The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone is a major breakthrough in the fight against the deadly virus, UK experts say.
The drug is part of the world’s biggest trial testing existing treatments to see if they also work for coronavirus.
It cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. For those on oxygen, it cut deaths by a fifth.
With reports suggesting that the steroid dexamethasone can reduce the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, the drug is widely available in India, with Zydus Cadila having the biggest brand ‘Dexona’. The total market of dexamethasone in India is 104 crore. Zydus brand alone has 87 crore market share. Wockhardt and Cadila Healthcare other manufacturers but smaller. The drug is available both in injectible and tablet form.
