Government gives NHS immediate authorisation for coronavirus drug
The government has given the NHS immediate authorisation to use the first drug shown to reduce the coronavirus death rate on patients.
Earlier today the results of a clinical trial carried out by Oxford University showed that dexamethasone, a common steroid, been proven to reduce the risk of death significantly in patients with severe forms of the disease.
The anti-inflammatory drug has now been approved to treat all UK hospitalised Covid-19 patients requiring oxygen, including those on ventilators, from today.
The Recovery trial is the first anywhere in the world to show a treatment provides significant impact in reducing patient mortality.
In anticipation of a positive test result, the government had taken steps to stockpile the drug, meaning that there is already enough to treat over 200,000 people.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said that the new standard treatment would save thousands of lives.
He added: “Guided by the science, the UK is leading the way in the global fight against coronavirus – with the best clinical trials, the best vaccine development and the best immunology research in the world”.
The results of the trial showed that the drug reduced the death rate of those on ventilators from 41 per cent to 28 per cent, and of those requiring oxygen from 25 per cent to 20 per cent.
Based on the results, for every eight ventilated patients treated with the drug one life would be saved.
Likewise, one in every 25 patients requiring oxygen would be survive through the use of the drug alone.
England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said the findings were “the most important trial result” for the disease so far.