New Study Reveals A Cholesterol Drug Named Fenofibrate Might Reduce The Symptoms Of COVID19 Drastically

A new study has shown that medicine that helps control cholesterol and other fatty elements in the blood might be a secret tool, which is keeping people healthy during the COVID19 pandemic. The study has been done by experts from the University of Birmingham. They have found that a drug named fenofibrate can lessen the severity and symptoms of COVID19 infection by up to 70 percent. Scientists from Keele University and the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Italy as well have contributed to the findings of the study. The study has noted that the drug has been able to drastically reduce the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in lab-grown human cells. The authors of the study have said that the drug and its active ingredient fenofibric acid can particularly reduce the ability of the virus to latch on to the ACE2 receptor that is found on human cells. As per the experts, the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses its spike protein to enter and infect human cells. It helps the virus to replicate in cells. Experts who have been involved in the study have said that the drug interrupts this pathway of infection by a massive 70 percent. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Fenofibrate for treating patients who are dealing with high cholesterol. This medication usually comes in pill form. It helps reduce triglyceride levels as well and the sum of fatty lipids in the blood. Experts have said that the drug improved the levels of good cholesterol in the blood and prevents heart diseases as well.

The authors of the study have said that the normal dose of the drug that patients use to keep their cholesterol levels in control might be enough to protect them from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In the study, experts have examined the drug against alpha and beta variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. At present, the authors of the study have said that they are testing the drug against the Delta variant of the virus that is considered one of the most contagious variants of the virus. The outcomes of the new study are the culmination of a project that has been testing a series of already approved drugs to determine if they can be helpful in the fight against the pandemic. Medical researchers hope that each drug might be able to reduce the interaction between the spike protein of the virus and the ACE2 receptor of human cells. In the United States and around the world, the emergence of new highly contagious variants of the virus has led to an increase in the rate of infection, deaths, and hospitalization. Specifically, the UK, Europe, and the US have been witnessing a rapid surge in COVID19 cases off lately. The co-author of the study, Dr. Farhat Khanim has said that while widespread vaccination programs will reduce the rate of infection and transmission of the virus, there is a need to spread out arsenals of drugs that can help treat patients who are down with COVID19 infection.

The authors of the study have said that the findings suggest that the drug will not just reduce the severity and symptoms of the disease but it will reduce the spread of the virus as well. The drug fenofibrate that is being used in the US by patients who are dealing with high cholesterol is widely available around the world. It is an oral medicine and comes at a very reasonable price. The findings of the study have a global implication due to the extensive history of the drug’s clinical use and its overall good safety profile. The co-author of the study, Dr. Elisa Vicenzi has said that the drug will be quite useful for low-middle-income nations that are still waiting for vaccine supply, people who cannot take COVID19 shots such as children, people who are dealing with autoimmune diseases or taking immune-suppressing medications. The findings of the study have been published in the journal called Frontiers in Pharmacology. Many breakthrough cases of COVID19 are popping up in people who have been fully vaccinated. Experts have said that no COVID19 shot is fully effective at present. This is why alternative therapies are quite crucial, said the experts.