Omari Gates
In March 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia believed they had found a cure for COVID-19. The cure was a combination of two drugs: Chloroquine, an anti-malaria medication, and Lopinavir/Ritonavir, an HIV-suppressing medication. The researchers claimed that the drugs had wiped out COVID-19 infections and made the virus 'disappear' in infected patients. However, it is important to note that at the time of the claim, the treatment had not been extensively tested in a controlled manner. Human trials were planned to further test the effectiveness of the treatment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 March 2020 |
| Location | University of Queensland, Brisbane |
| Treatment | HIV and Malaria drugs |
| Drugs | Chloroquine, Lopinavir/Ritonavir |
| Number of Drugs | Two |
| Testing | Human trials |
| Number of Hospitals | 50 |
| Patients | First wave of Chinese patients |
| Outcome | Successful |
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What You'll Learn
HIV and anti-malaria drugs as a cure for COVID-19
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from Australia claimed that they had found a cure for the new coronavirus. According to a report from the Daily Mail, a team of infectious disease experts at the University of Queensland in Brisbane found that two existing drugs, chloroquine (an anti-malaria medication) and lopinavir/ritonavir (an HIV-suppressing combination), managed to eradicate COVID-19 infections. Professor David Paterson, who was involved in the research, explained that when the HIV medication Lopinavir/Ritonavir was given to people infected with COVID-19 in Australia, it led to the 'disappearance of the virus'. He noted that this treatment could be considered a "potentially effective treatment", with patients ending up with "no viable coronavirus in their system at all after the end of the therapy".
The anti-malaria drug chloroquine works by poisoning parasites and preventing them from growing inside human red blood cells. It has been found to also be able to destroy viruses, and scientists found in lab tests that it could be effective against the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The HIV-suppressing combination lopinavir/ritonavir, also known as Kaletra, is a fixed-dose combination medication for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Despite these promising results, it is important to note that, at the time, these treatments had not been extensively tested on a controlled basis. Additionally, the first major study of COVID-19 treatment published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that lopinavir-ritonavir was not effective in treating severely ill patients in China. Furthermore, the UK government spent around £20 million on contracts for HIV and malaria drugs, including hydroxychloroquine, touted by Donald Trump as a 'game-changer' in the fight to end the pandemic. However, a survey found that it did not improve the odds of survival in 600 coronavirus patients, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against using hydroxychloroquine on coronavirus patients outside of hospital settings or clinical trials due to reports of abnormal heart rhythms and rapid heart rates in patients who took the medication.
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Human trials of the drugs in Australia
In March 2020, Australian researchers from the University of Queensland in Brisbane claimed that two existing drugs, chloroquine (an anti-malaria medication) and lopinavir/ritonavir (an HIV-suppressing combination medication), could be used to cure COVID-19.
The researchers were given the go-ahead to start human trials of the two-drug treatment, with tests expected to take place in 50 hospitals across Australia. Professor David Paterson, director of the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, said that the two drugs had already been used to treat 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 also noted that the drugs had been used successfully in China during the early days of the virus outbreak.
The human trials will involve comparing the effectiveness of the two drugs individually and in combination to determine their potential as a cure for COVID-19. Professor Paterson acknowledged that while the treatment had shown promising results, there had not been any controlled testing to confirm its efficacy. He expressed hopes that larger-scale pharmaceutical trials could be conducted by the end of March 2020.
The push for human trials in Australia reflects the urgent need to develop effective treatments for COVID-19, particularly as the development of a widely available vaccine was not expected for at least 18 months at the time. The researchers raised funds from donors through a global appeal to cover the estimated cost of A$750,000 (US$451,415) for the trials.
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Positive outcomes of the treatment
In March 2020, Australian researchers claimed that they had found a cure for COVID-19. The researchers, from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, said they had seen two existing medications manage to wipe out COVID-19 infections. The two medications in question were chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, and lopinavir/ritonavir, an HIV-suppressing combination.
The researchers, led by Professor David Paterson, explained that when HIV medication was given to people infected with COVID-19, it led to the 'disappearance of the virus'. Professor Paterson said it was potentially an effective treatment, with patients ending up with no viable coronavirus in their system after therapy. He also noted that the first wave of Chinese patients treated in Australia with the HIV drug 'did very, very well'.
The treatment was also used in the early days of the virus outbreak in China, and by doctors in Thailand. The combination of drugs had also been used successfully in Singapore. Professor Paterson said that human trials would be needed to test the treatment properly, and that they hoped to enrol patients by the end of March 2020. The treatment had already been approved for use in the US, Europe, and Australia.
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The urgency of developing a cure
In March 2020, Australian researchers from the University of Queensland in Brisbane announced a potential breakthrough. They believed that a combination of two existing drugs, Chloroquine (an anti-malarial drug) and Lopinavir/Ritonavir (an HIV-suppressing combination), could be used to treat COVID-19. This claim was based on initial positive results from human tests, where the virus seemed to "disappear" in infected patients. Professor David Paterson, an infectious disease expert, expressed optimism, stating that it wouldn't be wrong to consider these drugs a possible "treatment or cure".
The urgency to find a cure was not just a medical imperative but also a humanitarian one. The social and economic impact of the pandemic was devastating, with prolonged lockdowns taking a toll on people's mental and physical health, particularly the younger generation. The world needed a cure or an effective treatment to help alleviate the burden of the virus and allow societies to reopen and recover.
The race to develop a cure for COVID-19 was not just a scientific endeavour but also a global effort to save lives and restore normalcy. With the virus continuing to evolve and spread, the urgency of finding a cure remained a top priority for researchers, governments, and communities worldwide. The collaboration between over 30 academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies under the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness exemplified the collective effort to address this urgent need.
While the initial findings from Australia were promising, the lack of controlled testing and the need for further trials highlighted the ongoing nature of the search for a cure. As Professor Paterson noted, the urgency of the situation required a balanced approach: "We’re not on a flat foot, we can sort of move ahead very rapidly with enrolling Australians in this trial... We want to give Australians the absolute best treatment rather than just someone’s guesses or someone’s anecdotal experiences from a few people."
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The funding of the research
In March 2020, researchers at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, announced that they had found a cure for COVID-19. The research was funded by donations from a global appeal. The funding required for the research was estimated at A$750,000 (US$451,415). The researchers were given the go-ahead to start human trials of a promising drug treatment for the novel coronavirus after raising the required funds.
The drug treatment involves the use of two drugs, namely Chloroquine, an anti-malaria medication, and Lopinavir/Ritonavir, an HIV-suppressing combination. These drugs have reportedly shown promising results in human tests, leading to the disappearance of the virus in infected patients. The researchers plan to conduct a large-scale clinical trial across Australia, involving 50 hospitals, where they will compare the effectiveness of the two drugs individually and in combination.
The University of Queensland research team expressed their desire to provide Australians with the best possible treatment for COVID-19. They were confident in the safety of the drugs and had observed positive outcomes in patients treated with these medications in Australia. The researchers aimed to enrol patients in the nationwide trial by the end of March 2020, anticipating ongoing COVID-19 infections in the months ahead.
The funding for the research was made possible through donations from individuals and organisations who responded to the global appeal. This support enabled the researchers to move forward with their plans for human trials and work towards finding an effective treatment or cure for COVID-19 in Australia and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia believe that they have found a cure for COVID-19. The cure is a combination of drugs used to treat HIV and malaria.
The drugs are Chloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, and Lopinavir/Ritonavir, an HIV-suppressing combination.
These drugs have shown promising results in human tests and made the virus ''disappear'' in infected patients. The drugs are being tested as part of a global effort to find a cure or treatment for COVID-19.
The drugs have been approved for testing in about 50 hospitals in Australia. However, it will take time to conduct controlled trials and determine their effectiveness in treating COVID-19.
