KEM Hospital completes trial of psoriasis drug

King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital at Parel has completed the trial of a repurposed drug Itolizumab, and the result will soon be published in a research journal.

King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital at Parel has completed the trial of a repurposed drug Itolizumab, and the result will soon be published in a research journal. Ten severely-ill patients suffering from Covid-19 participated in the trial.

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Conventionally, Itolizumab is used to treat the skin condition psoriasis and was recommended by the state’s Covid-19 task force to reduce mortality. In the first week of May, the civic-run KEM Hospital started the trial with a 35-year-old male patient who was on the ventilator. Within three days of being administered the drug, the patient’s pneumonitis in the left lower zone improved, following which he was taken off the ventilator.

“We have reported a good recovery rate among the 10 patients who opted for the trial. We, however, can’t disclose any further details. The results will be published in a science research journal soon with approval from the government,” said a senior officer from the hospital.

Itolizumab is manufactured by Bengaluru-based biotech company Biocon, which has repurposed the drug for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. The drug is classified as a humanised anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody. It is a molecule produced in a laboratory. When it is incubated into the body, it acts as a substitute for antibodies that can restore or modulate the immune system’s attack on foreign bodies. “As the virus is new with no specific drugs for treatment, Itolizumab gives us hope,” said the officer.

Maharashtra’s Covid-19 task force has made several recommendations in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, intending to reduce mortality. The first was to make the drug Remdesivir and another antiviral drug Favipiravir available to patients. The task force has also suggested the availability of re-purposed arthritis drug Tocilizumab along with Itolizumab.