New treatment decreases Covid mortality rates by 70%

A cellular therapy tested on 13 intubated patients with mechanical ventilation has shown to be efficient for the clinical improvement of critical cases of COVID-19.

A new study has proved that a new treatment with stem cells can decrease the mortality rates of critical patients from 85% to 15%.

These are the first results of the BALMYS-19 project, co-led by professor from the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) and researcher at the Health Research Institute of Alicante (ISABIAL) Bernat Soria, together with professor Damián GarcíaOlmo from the Jiménez Díaz foundation (Autonomous University of Madrid). Another six Spanish universities and six hospitals have taken part in the study.

In the infection by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the clinical picture shows a depression of the immune system (lymphopenia), a widespread extreme inflammatory response, tissue damage, hypercoagulability and intense pulmonary distress that requires admission in the ICU. This advanced therapy is based on stem cells with regenerative, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulating properties, and is the first cell therapy for COVID-19 entirely developed and produced in Spain. During the pilot study, critical coronavirus patients who did not respond to conventional cellular therapy treatment, composed of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells, were treated with the new therapy.

According to the results obtained, the new cellular therapy does not cause adverse reactions, and achieves an overall clinical and radiological improvement. The mortality rate of patients decreased from 70-85% to 15% (two patients). A majority of people treated with the cellular therapy were extubated during the data collecting period. Their inflammation (C-reactive protein and ferritin), coagulation (D-dimer) and tissue damage (lactate dehydrogenase) markers decreased. Furthermore, the results show that the new treatment increases the presence of T lymphocytes (which directly attack the virus) and B lymphocytes (which synthesise antibodies).

Four researchers from Alicante province have taken part in the BALMYS-19 project: Clinical Medicine professor of the UMH Luis Manuel Hernández Blasco; Etelvina Andreu and Bernat Soria, from the Bioengineering Institute of the UMH; and José Miguel Sempere Ortells, from the University of Alicante. Furthermore, scientific and clinical staff from Madrid, Navarra, Murcia and Salamanca also took part.

The authors of the study explain that cellular therapies, unlike other treatments, are “live drugs” and must be used by qualified medical staff, and produced by departments accredited by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products.