Tehran, 16 June – The World Health Organization (WHO) delivered an additional 2200 vials of remdesivir to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The medication is to be used for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 within the framework of the Global Solidarity Trial, a multinational project launched by WHO to find an effective treatment for the disease.
Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been hard hit by the disease, has been an active participant in the trial since its initiation on 23 March 2020, with 19 hospitals affiliated with 15 universities of medical sciences across the country currently contributing data to the study.
Currently, there is no vaccine or cure for COVID-19, and several repurposed medicines, including remdesivir, are being investigated for safety and efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients. Remdesivir is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication that was initially tested for Ebola but has also shown promising results against a number of diseases caused by members of the coronavirus family, including SARS and MERS.
The current shipment was the third of its kind. In addition to shipping trial drugs, WHO has provided Islamic Republic of Iran with many other medical supplies to help the country fight COVID-19, including laboratory consumables, test kits, clinical, laboratory and personal protective equipment.
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WHO delivers more medicines to Islamic Republic of Iran for COVID-19 “Solidarity” clinical trial