Australian researchers have stated that they have discovered a promising treatment for COVID-19, as patients they tested responded very well to the treatment.
The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research team believes that two drugs could potentially eliminate the coronavirus entirely.
According to the researchers, one of the drugs is an HIV-suppressing medication, while the other is a chloroquine-based anti-malaria treatment.
Infectious diseases physician Professor David Paterson disclosed that the patients will likely participate in a clinical trial of both drugs by the end of March.
He expressed that it wouldn’t be wrong to consider the drugs as a potential “treatment or cure” for the deadly respiratory infection.
Professor Paterson also confirmed that one of the medications was administered to some patients who were initially identified as carriers in Australia, and it appeared to lead to the disappearance of the virus.
He told news.com.au that it’s a “potentially effective treatment” that should be considered for a large-scale medical trial immediately.
“What we want to do at the moment is a large clinical trial across Australia, looking at 50 hospitals, and what we’re going to compare is one drug, versus another drug, versus the combination of the two drugs.”
“That first wave of Chinese patients we had (in Australia), they all did very, very well when they were treated with the HIV drug,” Professor Paterson said.
Professor Paterson has initiated a fundraising appeal alongside the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to raise funds in support of the clinical trials. The Coronavirus Action Fund aims to raise $750,000.