Kuwait to take part in COVID-19 clinical trial

KUWAIT: Kuwait will participate in the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative, which will be held under the title ‘Solidarity’, said the Health Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Drug and Food Control Affairs, Dr Abdullah AlBader. In a statement to the press yesterday, Dr Bader indicated that the initiative aims to compare four treatment options with the usual level of care to treat the coronavirus disease to assess its safety and effectiveness. Dr Bader pointed out that it also aimed to reach quick results on any drug that slows the development of the disease or improves the patient’s condition in accordance with the guidelines determined by WHO in this regard.

The experimental treatments that will be studied according to the recommendations of WHO are Remdesivir, Lopinavir -Ritonavir and Lopinavir Ritonavir in conjunction with interferon beta-1a and chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, he added. He noted that these studies aim to obtain the largest number of data and results that contribute to determining safe and effective medicine under tight conditions, careful medical supervision and effective follow-up of all adverse effects that may result when using experimental drugs.

Dr Bader pointed out that this comes out of the role of the health ministry and its effective partnership with WHO and under the directions of the Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah and the instructions of the Undersecretary, Dr Mustafa Redha. The ‘Solidarity’ initiative is an international clinical trial in which more than 90 countries participate and aims to cooperate in reaching a safe and effective treatment for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).