Waiting for the wave How Covid Medicines Are Developed

The official start date of the pandemic in Russia is January 31, 2020. The day before, the government adopted a decree that described measures to prevent the importation and reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in Russia. By this time, medical workers were already looking for ways to help people who were in the “red zone”. The emergence of covid posed challenges for healthcare professionals related to rapid diagnosis and provision of medical care to patients. At first, it was necessary to act literally “blindly”, removing at least the obvious symptoms. Despite the fact that tremendous work has been done in two and a half years, intensive study of the clinical and epidemiological features of the disease continues to this day, as well as the development of new means of its prevention and treatment. To fight the insidious virus, the medical and scientific communities rallied, and the pharmaceutical industry made a big leap forward.

The first soldiers of the virus field

More than two years ago, the whole world was struck by the pace with which pharmaceutical companies began to develop the latest drugs for covid. Help in this matter was the reaction of the authorities to the growing number of patients with a new infection. Already on April 16, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to promptly take decisions aimed at simplifying and reducing the time for preclinical and clinical trials, as well as state registration of drugs for the prevention of coronavirus. Then, under the innovative at that time drugs based on favipiravir, it seemed that all the most modern tools that the domestic “pharmaceutical industry” possesses were thrown. Thanks to one of the drugs developed at that time, which was registered in June 2020, more than 600 thousand patients were cured!

Favipiravir-based drugs have a universal mechanism of action, suppressing various RNA viruses that cause a wide range of acute respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, influenza and many others. At the same time, the effect of drugs does not depend on the strain of coronavirus.

At the same time, US doctors tried existing drugs based on remdesivir, which was originally developed to treat Ebola, in the treatment. May 2020 US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of this drug in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 who are in serious condition (with developed respiratory failure). In Russia, studies of the drug took place in the summer of 2020.

“The principle of these drugs is that the virus multiplies very quickly, but not accurately. A viral polymerase is able to swallow such a substance, integrate it into a growing chain of nucleic acid, and this chain will no longer grow after that. Thus, the reproduction of the virus is inhibited, ” commented Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Bioengineering of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Miroshnikov.

Work never stopped

But our scientists did not stop there. The laboratories continued to develop new “fighters” against the virus. For example, antiviral drugs based on molnupiravir were created, the first of which was registered by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation at the beginning of this February. In simple words, the effect of such drugs is that they introduce errors during the copying of the virus.

“The virus does not yet know such a blow, it does not expect it. Now we just have more tools that allow us to achieve a cure, ” told RBC Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Promomed group of companies Petr Bely.

“Drugs based on the same molecule are used in America, Japan, Europe. Our citizens should have access to the most modern therapy and as soon as possible,” he added.

A new word in the fight against the crown

Most recently, on August 18, the Ministry of Health published an updated version of guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus infection. Two new drugs for the treatment of coronavirus infection were added there. One of them is based on the formula nirmatrelvir + ritonavir, which was registered by the Ministry of Health at the end of April this year. By words Vladimir Chulanov, Chief Freelance Specialist in Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, “clinical studies have shown a pronounced antiviral effect of a new drug for the treatment of COVID-19, reducing the risk of disease progression to more severe forms and accelerating recovery. The directed mechanism of action on the viral protease determines the success of treatment, regardless of the strain of SARS-CoV-2. At the moment, the Skyvira drug … can be indicated for the outpatient treatment of mild or moderate coronavirus infection in adults.”

In the new version of the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, “the list of possible prescription drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults: Favipiravir, Molnupiravir, Nirmatrelvir + ritonavir, Remdesivir, Synthetic small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA), Human immunoglobulin against COVID-19, IFN-α, Umifenovir, Pentandioic acid imidazolylethanamide, Kasirivimab + imdevimab, – says in the document.

The press service of the Russian Ministry of Health clarified that the updated document was also supplemented with information on new vaccine preparations that are available for vaccination in the country, as well as the section on the management of special groups of patients – with diabetes mellitus and mental disorders.

“The pandemic in Russia has not been canceled. We see that now the rise in the incidence is gradually beginning. We expect a new wave in late August-early September. New strains spread quickly and are more infectious than previous strains. But they are not so difficult, and the load on the inpatient service will be relatively small. In addition, our healthcare system is ready for developments. Doctors are already very well aware of this pathology, its acute phase, they have learned how to deal with severe forms of the disease, they have very good experience in the use of various drugs, ”said infectious disease specialist, professor, doctor of medical sciences Nikolai Malyshev in an interview with MK.

The seventh shaft: how to protect yourself?

No one will argue that Russia, like many other countries, is on the verge of the seventh wave of the pandemic. Doctors in unison say that although the drug base of domestic drugs helps to endure the disease quite easily, it is better to try not to get infected at all. Doctors advise people with underlying diseases, especially the elderly, to remember to wear masks. But first of all, you need to get vaccinated.

“Now, unfortunately, despite the fact that many people are vaccinated, they forget to revaccinate. Just look at the treatment rooms where vaccination is carried out, there are no people there. But this is our main defense against coronavirus. And, of course, barrier protection is important – masks. Yes, wearing them is no longer required, but highly, highly desirable. Better not to get sick at all. After all, time goes by, and we see that people who have endured the acute phase of the coronavirus well, however, continue to notice the appearance of post-covid symptoms, ”summed up Malyshev.