KUALA LUMPUR: A group of scientists, physicians, funders and policymakers from over 70 institutions and 30 countries has launched an international coalition committed to finding a solution to Covid-19 in resource-poor countries.
Among the signatories and members of the Covid-19 Clinical Research Coalition, launched to accelerate research on the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 in low and middle income nations, is Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
In a comment published in the independent medical journal The Lancet, the coalition said that international research collaboration and coordination is urgently needed to support African, Latin American, Eastern European, and certain Asian countries as they respond to the worsening pandemic.
“One important research response to Covid-19 was launched already, the World Health Organisation (WHO)-led ‘Solidarity Trial’, which is an unprecedented global effort.
“But the authors found that out of almost 600 Covid-19 clinical trials registered, very few were planned in resource-poor settings.
“The authors are committed to share their technical expertise and clinical trial capabilities to accelerate Covid-19 research in these settings,” it said in a statement.
It was reported that the effort is a multi-centred, adaptive, randomised, open clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four promising drugs or drug combinations that might help in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
The drugs include Hydroxychloroquine, prescribed either for the prevention or treatment of malaria, and Remdisivir, which is a novel anti-viral drug being tested in China and the United States for Covid-19 treatment.
According to WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 74 countries have responded to the UN health agency’s call to participate in the Solidarity Trial.
Dr Noor Hisham had earlier said that Malaysia has received Remdisivir and will be introducing it to Covid-19 patients in the country soon.
Members of the coalition, meanwhile, have also called for specific commitments to ensure that effective new treatments are made available as soon as possible in resource-poor settings, and that they are affordable and readily accessible.