Ruqayyah Snyder
In March 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research in Brisbane, Australia, claimed that they had found a cure for the novel coronavirus. The cure was said to be a combination of two drugs used to treat HIV and malaria. The drugs, Chloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir, were found to wipe out COVID-19 infections in test tubes. Professor David Paterson, the director of the research centre, said that one of the medications had already been given to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, resulting in their complete recovery. However, the researchers needed more funds to conduct larger clinical trials to test the effectiveness of the drugs. Later, in April 2020, Australian scientists claimed that an anti-parasitic drug called Ivermectin could kill the COVID-19 virus within 48 hours in a laboratory setting. While these findings offer potential treatments for COVID-19, it is important to note that as of the time of writing, there is no widely recognised cure for the coronavirus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | March 16, 2020 |
| Location | Queensland, Australia |
| Institution | University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research |
| Director | Professor David Paterson |
| Drugs Used | Chloroquine, Kaletra (Lopinavir/Ritonavir), Ivermectin |
| Drug Type | Anti-malarial, HIV-suppressing, Anti-parasitic |
| Drug Availability | Registered and available in Australia |
| Drug Efficacy | Reduced or eliminated coronavirus in patients |
| Next Steps | Clinical trials across 50 hospitals in Australia |
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What You'll Learn
HIV and malaria drugs as a cure
In March 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, claimed that they had found a cure for the novel coronavirus. They said they had seen two existing medications—chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, and the HIV-suppressing combination lopinavir/ritonavir (also known as Kaletra)—wipe out COVID-19 infections in test tubes. Professor David Paterson, an infectious disease physician, said that one of the medications had been given to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, resulting in the "disappearance of the virus" and complete recovery from the infection. He called the drugs a "potentially effective treatment".
The drugs are already registered and available in Australia, and researchers claim they have a long history of being well-tolerated, with no unexpected side effects. According to Paterson, the first wave of Chinese patients in Australia did very well when treated with the HIV drug. He said:
> "What we want to do at the moment is a large clinical trial across Australia, looking at 50 hospitals, and what we’re going to compare is one drug, versus another drug, versus the combination of the two drugs."
Doctors in France, the United States of America, and South Korea are also using an antimalarial drug known as hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19. In February 2020, Thailand's health minister claimed that Thai doctors had found a cure for coronavirus using a combination of anti-viral drugs used in the treatment of flu and HIV. A 71-year-old woman who was infected with the coronavirus was cured within 48 hours of treatment.
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Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug that has been the subject of several claims regarding its effectiveness in treating or preventing COVID-19. However, it is important to note that ivermectin is not approved for COVID-19 treatment or prevention in Australia or any other comparable OECD country. The Australian Department of Health and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have not endorsed its use for COVID-19.
Ivermectin is primarily used as a veterinary medicine to treat parasites in animals and, in humans, to treat a range of parasitic infections, including scabies, lice, onchocerciasis, ascariasis, strongyloidiasis, and trichuriasis. It is consumed orally as a tablet and is available by prescription only. The drug acts on neurotransmitters in the nervous system of parasites, paralyzing and killing the worms and their offspring, and reducing their reproduction rate.
Despite some claims that ivermectin can treat COVID-19, scientific evidence does not support this assertion. Medical experts, including Professor Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, and Professor Tari Turner, executive director of the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, have stated that there is no evidence to support the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.
While a study by the Monash University Biomedical Institute and the Peter Doherty Infection and Immunity Institute found that ivermectin can kill the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in a laboratory setting within 48 hours, further studies are needed to determine its effectiveness and safety in humans. Dr. Kylie Wagstaff, the lead author of the study, emphasized the need to establish an effective dose for human use.
It is worth noting that there have been cases in Australia of people requiring hospital care after an ivermectin overdose. As such, it is crucial to consult a medical professional before taking any medication, including ivermectin, and to follow their advice regarding treatment options for COVID-19.
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Kaletra as a treatment
In March 2020, Australian researchers claimed to have found a cure for the novel coronavirus. The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research director Professor David Paterson said that they had seen two drugs used to treat other conditions wipe out the virus in test tubes. One of the medications, an HIV drug, had already been administered to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, resulting in their complete recovery.
The HIV medication in question is lopinavir/ritonavir, also known by the brand name Kaletra. Kaletra is a protease inhibitor mainly used for HIV and works by blocking cleavage in Gag and Gag-Pol, resulting in the production of immature and noninfectious virus particles. This ability to stop a virus from reproducing and infecting new cells is believed to be what makes Kaletra an effective coronavirus treatment.
Kaletra has been recommended by Chinese authorities for the treatment of coronavirus. The Russian drugmaker R-Pharm has also announced plans to increase the production of Kaletra for the treatment of coronavirus. However, despite these promising signs, clinical trials in the U.K. and China have found that Kaletra does not reduce mortality or speed recovery from COVID-19.
The RECOVERY trial in the U.K., which involved 5,040 patients, found no reduction in mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients randomized to lopinavir-ritonavir compared to the usual care group. These results, along with the drug's well-documented adverse effects and drug interactions, led to a National Institute of Health recommendation against the use of lopinavir-ritonavir for hospitalized COVID-19 patients outside of clinical trials.
Despite the disappointing results in moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases, there is some evidence that Kaletra may improve outcomes in severe and critical COVID-19 patients. However, it is important to note that the same study indicated that Kaletra may induce mortality. More research and clinical trials are needed to fully understand the effectiveness of Kaletra as a treatment for COVID-19.
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Queensland researchers find a cure
In March 2020, Queensland researchers claimed to have found a cure for the novel coronavirus. Professor David Paterson, director of the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, stated that they had seen two drugs used to treat other conditions wipe out the virus in test tubes. One of these medications, an HIV drug, had been administered to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, resulting in the "'disappearance of the virus'" and complete recovery from the infection.
Professor Paterson acknowledged that while the treatment had shown success in some patients, there hadn't been any controlled testing as would be required for a new drug. He emphasized that the positive outcomes observed in a small number of cases warranted further investigation. The researchers planned to conduct a nationwide trial, aiming to enroll patients by the end of March and involving 50 hospitals across Australia, with the potential to reach more than 2000 people.
The two drugs in question, Chloroquine (an anti-malarial drug) and lopinavir/ritonavir (an HIV-suppressing combination), were already registered and available in Australia. The researchers intended to compare the effectiveness of each drug individually and in combination through the large-scale clinical trial. Professor Paterson expressed confidence in the safety profile of the drugs, stating that they had a "long experience of being very well tolerated" and presented no unexpected side effects.
The discovery of a potential cure by Queensland researchers offered a glimmer of hope in the global fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic. With the support of additional funding and the participation of hospitals across Australia, the researchers aimed to provide Australians with the best possible treatment options based on scientific evidence. This development highlighted the crucial role of medical research and collaboration in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Human trials needed
In March 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research in Brisbane, Australia, found that two existing medications, lopinavir/ritonavir (an HIV-suppressing combination) and chloroquine (an anti-malarial drug), could wipe out COVID-19 infections in test tubes. Professor David Paterson, the director of the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, stated that one of the medications had already been administered to some of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 in Australia, resulting in the "'disappearance of the virus'" and the patients' complete recovery.
While these initial findings were promising, Professor Paterson emphasized the need for further testing, specifically large-scale clinical trials across Australia involving 50 hospitals. He acknowledged that the treatment had only been effective in a small number of cases and that controlled testing was necessary to validate the drug's efficacy. The RBWH Foundation established a Coronavirus Action Fund to support these clinical drug trials, aiming to raise $750,000.
In April 2020, Australian scientists at Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Melbourne, in collaboration with the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, announced that Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic drug, could potentially kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus within 48 hours in a laboratory setting. Dr Kylie Wagstaff, the lead researcher, emphasized that the next step was to determine the effective dosage for humans and cautioned against self-medication.
Although these developments showed potential in combating the coronavirus, human trials were necessary to establish their effectiveness and safety in treating COVID-19 patients. As of March and April 2020, human trials had not yet been conducted for either of the proposed treatments.
Human trials are an essential step in the development of new treatments and cures for diseases. They provide a controlled environment to assess the safety and efficacy of potential treatments in humans, building upon the findings from pre-clinical laboratory studies. By conducting human trials, researchers can determine the appropriate dosage, identify any potential side effects, and establish the overall effectiveness of the treatment in a controlled and ethical manner.
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Frequently asked questions
Researchers at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research believe they have found a cure for the novel coronavirus.
The cure is a combination of two drugs, Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, and HIV-suppressing combination lopinavir/ritonavir.
The cure stops the virus from reproducing and infecting new cells.
The cure is not yet available to the public. The researchers are hoping to have patients enrolled in a nationwide trial by the end of March.
