What is the future for covid drugs and treatments?

What new treatments or approaches are on the horizon?

It’s not so much about “new” treatments as continuing research to prove effectiveness of drugs we already know work in practice, says Janet Diaz, who leads clinical management at the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme.

“I think we’re still seeing a mixture of different types of products in regard to the immunomodulation type,” she says. “We have corticosteroids, IL-6 receptor tocilizumab, and then Janus kinase inhibitors, baricitinib.1 If we can really improve access to those and get clinicians to integrate them into covid-19 care pathways for severe and critical cases in hospitals, I think that would be a big advancement.”

That said, she sees potential for anticoagulants as a treatment, particularly for hospital inpatients with severe to critical covid-19. “We have recommendations for the prophylactic dose in those patients, but we are currently conducting a prospective meta-analysis and I hope to have those results [this year],” says Diaz. She also hopes to have more data soon around dosing of heparin in patients with severe to critical covid-19, to see if there’s any mortality benefit in those patients or a reduction in the need for basic ventilation.

Similarly, antiplatelet agents such as aspirin may be worth stronger recommendations. Diaz explains, “There are increasing numbers of studies being conducted on that, both in the acute phase and also potentially in the early recovery phase. I look forward to seeing what comes out with that, because we’ve heard a lot about the cardiovascular complications in that first year after acute illness.”

What role will combination therapies have in future covid treatment?

Experts who spoke to The BMJ are unanimous that combination therapies will help to keep current drug …