COVID-19 scan for 07 July 2022

New cancer drug halves deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The experimental cancer drug sabizabulin slashed all-cause mortality by 55.2% versus placebo in high-risk hospitalized COVID-19 patients for 60 days and was associated with fewer side effects, according to preliminary results from a published phase 3 randomized controlled trial. yesterday at NEJM Evidence.

Scientists from sabizabulin manufacturer Veru, Inc. led a multicenter trial of the oral drug, which demonstrated antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties in a preclinical model. These drugs bind to microtubules that are essential for SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication and for the massive inflammatory response leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death.

A total of 204 adults with moderate to severe COVID-19 at high risk for poor outcome were randomly assigned to receive 9 milligrams of sabizabulin or a placebo daily for up to 21 days. The trial was terminated early due to demonstrating drug efficacy, resulting in the inclusion of 150 patients (98 assigned to sabizabulin and 52 to placebo) in the analysis, 145 of whom completed the study and had known status at 60 days.

Patients were enrolled in 27 locations in five countries—United States, Brazil, Bulgaria, Argentina, and Mexico—from 18 May 2021 to 31 January 2022.

Sabizabulin caused an absolute reduction of 24.9 percentage points and a relative reduction of 55.2% in mortality versus placebo (odds ratio, 3.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.45 to 7.22). Nineteen of the 94 sabizabulin recipients (20.2%) died, compared with 23 of 51 placebo recipients (45.1%).

Compared with placebo recipients, the sabizabulin group also experienced a 43% relative reduction in mean days in the intensive care unit (-13.4 days), a 49% relative reduction in days on mechanical ventilation (-14.1), and a 26% relative reduction in within a few days in the hospital (-8.4). Side effects were less common in the sabizabulin recipient (61.5%) than in the placebo group (78.3%).

“These data suggest that sabizabulin treatment significantly reduces mortality with an acceptable side effect and safety profile in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 who are at high risk for ARDS,” conclude the investigators.
6th july NEJM Evidence study

People with compromised immunity who are hospitalized are at higher risk of developing severe COVID

Immune-compromised adults who are hospitalized for COVID-19 have a greater risk of admission and death in the intensive care unit (ICU), regardless of vaccination status, according to an analysis led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ).

They based their findings on data from the 10 states participating in the COVID-19-Related Inpatient Surveillance Network collected from March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2022. The team published its findings today at Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Of the 23,345 adults hospitalized for COVID-19, 12.2% were immunocompromised. In comparison, immunocompromised people make up about 2.7% of the US adult population. Of the unvaccinated patients, those with impaired immunity had a higher likelihood of admission to the ICU (adjusted odds ratio). [aOR] = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.08-1.49) and mortality (aOR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05-1.70). When the investigators looked at vaccinated patients, those who were immunocompromised had a higher chance of ICU admission (aOR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.01–1.92) and death (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.28-2.75).

Focusing solely on the period March 2021 to February 2022 on people who are not immunocompromised, people who are vaccinated have a lower chance of dying than people who are not vaccinated. However, in immunocompromised individuals, the probability of death did not vary by vaccination status.

“The generally consistent association of an individual’s immunosuppressed condition with an increased likelihood of death suggests that decreased immunity itself is likely associated with severe outcome,” the group wrote, adding that COVID-19 vaccination in that cohort was highly protective against hospitalization, but after hospitalization, vaccination status was not associated with ICU admission or death.

The higher likelihood of a severe outcome in immunocompromised persons hospitalized with COVID-19 underscores the need for multi-layered prevention strategies for this group, such as ensuring that close contacts are up-to-date with vaccinations, encouraging immunocompromised persons to use prophylaxis. pre-exposure agents such as Evusheld, and early testing and treatment.
July 8 MMWR report

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