While widespread vaccination is key in our fight against COVID-19, people who are infected still need better treatment to improve their chance of survival and making a full recovery.
Early on, the world had high hopes for a range of repurposed medications which had previously been approved to treat other conditions – including hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and ivermectin – to treat COVID-19. But the results have been disappointing.
Diseases caused by viruses are among the most difficult to treat, due to their ability to invade and repurpose infected cells. This limits the ability for drugs to directly act on the virus.
Yet researchers around the world are finding ways to overcome these barriers and directly target the coronavirus, including in Australia. So what’s being developed here and how do they work?
Stopping, blocking and dampening – how Aussie drugs in the pipeline could treat COVID-19 theconversation.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theconversation.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
While the results are very promising, it has only been tested in mice. Human clinical trials will take some time to complete before we know whether a drug could become available.
Queensland researchers create COVID heat-seeking missile
Queensland researchers have developed a new anti-viral drug they believe to be a heat-seeking missile in the fight against COVID-19.
The new drug, developed by researchers at Griffith University, is said to seek out and destroy COVID-19 cells with the help of nanoparticles injected into a recipient s bloodstream.
Professor Nigel McMillan from the Menzies Health Institute says the drug, which is about to enter clinical trials, has already shown promising results.
Professor Nigel McMillan has said the drug can nearly remove all COVID cells from a recipient s lungs.(Nine)
The new anti-viral drug is said to be able to seek out and destroy COVID-19 cells with the help of nano particles injected into the recipient s blood stream. (Nine)
Probiotics may reduce anticipatory stress response to night shift work miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.