Russian pharmaceutical manufacturers have launched a new drug to combat COVID-19

Production

Medicines

15.03.2022

Russian medicine has received a new effective tool to combat the coronavirus pandemic in accordance with an international protocol.

Saransk has launched the production of a fully domestic drug based on molnupiravir: its use in outpatient practice makes it possible to reduce the recovery process to five days, and the number of hospitalizations by three times. Russian developers managed to create a new product and launch it into production almost simultaneously with leading Western pharmaceutical companies.

Doctors and patients have a choice.

The world started talking about a modern effective coronavirus drug with the active ingredient molnupiravir at the end of last year, when the novelty was adopted by the EU countries. At the end of December, foreign companies delivered the first limited shipments of the drug to Russia. And already in early February 2022, a domestic, much more affordable development based on an internationally recognized molecule was successfully registered.

"This is a new word and a new quality in the treatment of COVID-19 and a new hope that even more human lives will be saved," said Peter Bely, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed Group. — We were among the first domestic pharmaceutical companies to enter the war on the pandemic, offering the first antiviral drug in mid-2020. And now we are introducing another drug with different characteristics and advantages.

Earlier in our country, drugs based on the active substance favipiravir were produced for the treatment of coronavirus patients. What these substances have in common is that they block further spread and promote the complete elimination of the virus from the body. But they do it in different ways, attacking different virus targets. It is important that both drugs remain effective against the omicron strain and can complement each other.

According to experts, today, for the first time since the pandemic, doctors finally have a choice: a drug for etiotropic therapy can be selected, adapting to a specific patient, taking into account concomitant diseases.

"Russian developers managed to create a new product and launch it into production almost simultaneously with leading Western pharmaceutical companies"

— The peculiarity of the new coronavirus infection is its transience. The virus leaves doctors almost no room for error," said Sergey Avdeev, chief pulmonologist at the Russian Ministry of Health and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. — The merit of Russian scientists and developers lies in the availability of a whole range of anti—covid drugs for national healthcare.

According to the expert, despite the fact that the new drug has just arrived in the country, drugs based on this molecule are well studied. Doctors can rely on the results of about ten clinical trials conducted in different countries, including Russia.

Since December, studies conducted in 16 medical institutions across the country, including Moscow, Saransk, Yaroslavl, Smolensk, Ryazan, Kirov, St. Petersburg, Ivanovo, Voronezh and other cities, have convincingly proved the advantages of the new product.

Already on the fifth day of treatment, more than 80 percent of patients had complete elimination of the virus, and over 40 percent of patients, including patients with risk factors for developing a complicated course of COVID-19, recovered completely.

It will reduce the load on hospitals

The results of international clinical trials involving more than 3,000 patients were discussed at an expert council held in February with the participation of six academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences, well-known medical scientists and clinicians. It was noted at the meeting that COVID-19 continues to pose a serious threat to human health and life. This means that the treatment arsenal needs to be replenished with highly effective drugs that have universal action against RNA viruses, regardless of the variability of the strains. At the same time, early initiation of targeted antiviral therapy is the key to successful prevention of the development of the disease in a severe scenario.

According to a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, director of the Medical Institute of the Moscow State University. Ogareva, Professor Larisa Balykova, the new drug has a very favorable safety profile — it is a short five-day treatment. Therefore, the most correct tactic would be to prescribe it at an early stage, especially in patients at risk.

This will help to make a real revolution in the treatment of coronavirus patients: the new development can significantly reduce the burden on healthcare by reducing the number of hospitalizations and the severe development of the disease. Thus, the research results suggest that thanks to the use of new products, the proportion of patients in need of inpatient treatment can be reduced by more than three times. This means that doctors and beds will finally be available for the treatment of other categories of patients.

"The appearance of our domestic drug based on molnupiravir is an opportunity to provide decent effective treatment to virtually the majority of our country's citizens," stated Vladimir Chulanov, Chief freelance specialist in infectious Diseases at the Russian Ministry of Health, Deputy Director of the National Medical Research Center for Phthisiopulmonology and Infectious Diseases, MD.

From a molecule to a tablet

Experts have high hopes for the new drug. A few days after receiving the registration, it was put into production. It is produced at the Saransk Biochemist plant using full—cycle technology - from the active pharmaceutical substance to the finished dosage form. The first batch was sent to the healthcare system, including distributors and pharmacy chains, in the first hours after the end of post-registration procedures.

"We consider it critically important to make the world's most advanced coronavirus therapy available to our compatriots as quickly as possible," said Maxim Smagin, CEO of the development company. — The first antitumor drug based on the internationally recognized molnupiravir molecule was registered abroad in December, and in February, a domestic drug developed by us based on the same molecule using original technology was delivered to the healthcare system. Our factory in Saransk is operating at full capacity to meet the demands of all regions.

Today, it is safe to say that the Russian pharmaceutical industry has stood the test of the pandemic: during this difficult period, the industry managed to mobilize and develop the necessary vaccines and drugs in a short time, multiplying the production of medicines. The creation of a new drug is another example of qualitative changes in the industry.

"Thanks to the efforts of our team, the drug appeared in Russia almost simultaneously with the appearance of molnupiravir—based drugs in the United States, Great Britain, other European countries, and Japan," emphasized Peter Bely. — One of the most modern achievements of the global pharmaceutical industry is now in service with our doctors. We are pleased that we have contributed to the world's collection of data on its effectiveness and safety.

The expert recalled that in order to avoid the severe consequences of coronavirus, treatment should be started as early as possible. This will prevent a cascade of pathological reactions from starting. After all, the consequences of the so-called covoid syndrome are experienced even by those who have suffered from a mild form of the disease. Often such people neglect treatment, as a result of complete elimination of the virus does not occur — it remains in the body for a long time, even in a latent form. Scientists attribute to this the majority of negative manifestations that last for weeks and months: asthenia, decreased memory, mental performance, complications from the cardiovascular system.

— The first thing to do at the slightest sign of illness is to seek medical help. To the local doctor, through telemedicine, to the operstab hotline. After that, a person will usually receive a free package of a highly effective antiviral drug from a doctor. In this case, the patient will have a very high chance of a quick cure and eliminating the risk of complications," Petr Bely assured. — It is a drug with universal action against replication of RNA-containing viruses. By bringing such products to the market, we are building a foundation for the future. After all, after the end of the pandemic, the coronavirus will not disappear. Even if it is mixed with ordinary acute respiratory viral infections, people with risk factors will still be at risk of complications, so they will need effective therapy.

Source: rg.ru

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