Mexico approves clinical trials for COVID-19 drugs

The Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) approved four clinical trials on medicines that could help treat the COVID-19 coronavirus infection, as informed by Hugo López-Gatell , deputy minister for Health Prevention and Promotion.

At the National Palace, the officer mentioned that until now, there are four upcoming clinical trials , some of them will begin next week.

“When the epidemic began, it was agreed that Mexico would join fields that perform clinical trials or public health experiences . COFEPRIS approved three essays and a fourth one is in the process of being authorized; they are collaborations with researchers from national health institutes of the United States ,” he said.

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One of the clinical trials is about the “ remdesivir ” medication, which is an antiviral that has not been widely used in the world but that seems “ promising ” for the preliminary investigations to fight the new coronavirus, as the officer explained.

The second is a trial about the “ tocilizumab ” medication which is a protein that blocks one of the mechanisms that produces swelling in tissues, mainly on lung tissues “and that, due to the swelling in the lungs, it is the main cause of serious acute lung damage ; the use of this medication is considered promising,” said López-Gatell.

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The third clinical trial is about hydroxychloroquine , a medicine that has been used for a long time in the treatment against malaria . It is also used for immune modulation in rheumatic diseases. The last trial is the combination of chloroquine with azithromycin , an antibiotic.

“It must be stressed that, although we see very few international news that recommend the immediate use of these products, we must be clear that this is not how safety on the use of innovative or existing medications work to treat new diseases; it must be verified that their use does not cause harm to people; there are international standards followed by Mexico to guarantee biosecurity , the protection to human beings, the quality of research, and ethics.”

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