IT Correspondent
New Delhi, Sept 29:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi on Monday claimed that the clinically approved drug “Teicoplanin” is a potential therapeutic option against COVID-19 and can be ten times more effective than several drugs being currently used.
The research by the institute’s “Kusuma School of Biological Science” screened an assemblage of 23 approved drugs, which showed leads towards being therapeutic options for coronavirus.
“While the effect of Teicoplanin was compared with other important drugs in use, it was found to be 10-20 fold more effective than the other drugs such as “Lopinavir” and “Hydroxychloroquine”, being used against SARS-CoV-2, IIT Delhi Professor Ashok Patel said. Prof. Patel who led the research was assisted by Dr Pradeep Sharma from AIIMS. The research has also been published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
“Teicoplanin” is an FDA-approved glycopeptide antibiotic, which is regularly used for treating Gram-positive bacterial infections with low toxicity profile in humans. “Recently, a clinical study was carried out with “Teicoplanin” at “Sapienza University” in Rome. However, a more detailed clinical investigation is required on a large cohort, in different stages-mild, moderate and critically ill patients to conclude the definite role of “Teicoplanin” against COVID 19,” Patel said.
Teicoplanin is marketed by Sanofi-Aventis under the trade name Targocid. Besides there are being made in 23 brands by other manufacturers, who include : Glenmark, Biocon Limited, Alna Biotech and Cipla Limited.
Globally, over 3.2 crore people have been infected with COVID-19, and the total number of deaths from the deadly virus now stands at over 9.80 lakh. India’s coronavirus tally galloped past 60 lakh on Monday with 82,170 new cases, while the number of recoveries surged to 50.17 lakh after 74,893 more people recuperated, the Union Health Ministry said. The death toll from the pathogen climbed to 95,542 with 1,039 more deaths. There are 9,62,640 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), comprising 15.85 per cent of the caseload, according to the ministry data.
