Colombia begins studies with Remdesivir and Interferon Beta

• - Under WHO protocols, the Ministry of Health and INVIMA (National Institution for the Control of Food and Drugs, by its acronym in Spanish) approved the start of studies in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 with two drugs that can fight the disease.
• - 25 countries and more than 4 thousand patients worldwide are taking part in the large study that aims to validate the overall results of four drugs against COVID-19.
• - In Colombia, the studies will be carried out with Remdesivir and Interferon Beta in 5 clinics located in Bogota, Cali and Barranquilla.

Bogota, July 27, 2020. Considering the health emergency due to COVID-19 and the lack of effective drugs for its treatment, the World Health Organization initiated the study called ¿Solidarity¿, whose objective is to find in a short time, a therapeutic option for treatment of this disease.

Around the world, 25 countries and more than 4 thousand patients are taking part in this great study that will serve to demonstrate the benefits of four drugs that in previous months have shown effectiveness against this disease. In Colombia, the Ministry of Health decided to do the studies with two drugs: Remdesivir and Interferon Beta.

On July 24, the inclusion of the first patient in the study began at the Colombia University Clinic in Bogota. Participation in this procedure is completely voluntary. In the coming weeks, it is expected that many more patients, who are hospitalized or in the ICU, agree to be treated with one of these two drugs in order to demonstrate the performance and effectiveness against the disease.

The institutions in which the study will initially be carried out are the Colombia University, the Reina Sofía and the Santa María del Lago Clinics in Bogota; the Sebastián de Belalcázar Clinic in Cali; and the Iberoamérica Clinic in Barranquilla.

The studies will be directed by Dr. Carlos Álvarez, WHO coordinator in Colombia for pandemic care, and will have the support of the Clinical Research Center of the Sanitas University Foundation.

The National Institution for the Control of Food and Drugs (INVIMA, by its acronym in Spanish) approved the ¿Solidarity¿ study on June 12, 2020. Currently there are about 20 more medical institutions in administrative processes of clinical research to start the research. 

The information obtained with this study will feed a database of all patients in the world in order to establish whether they are effective and can be universally offered, or otherwise, identify it and search for new alternatives.