40-plus therapeutics in development even as researchers are trying to reach consensus on the syndrome
LONDON, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — BioWorld published by Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, has announced new analysis tracking the latest developments related to the study of long COVID-19, a complex syndrome affecting more than 100 million people globally. BioWorld is a suite of award-winning news services delivering actionable intelligence on the most innovative therapeutics and medical technologies in development. The analysis zeroes in on the latest research that’s working to define the syndrome — which is likely to be a protracted public health crisis — and analyzes more than 40 studies of potential treatments for long COVID.
Scientists originally began to study post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, also known as long COVID, in August 2020. Throughout the pandemic, the biopharmaceutical industry has remained focused on bringing COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics to patients with record-breaking speed, with notable “firsts,” including the first DNA vaccine. However, treatments for the emerging condition remain elusive. Now, nearly two years into the global pandemic, thousands of people are participating in studies to help better understand an often-misunderstood aspect of COVID-19.
The BioWorld team reviewed and analyzed numerous peer-reviewed studies that are aiming to establish the first research definition of what is meant by long COVID, which is similar to what the World Health Organization has proposed. The research definition is meant to standardize data collection and methodology, not be used to diagnose patients and provide access to medical care. BioWorld’s analysis describes the development of this consensus-based definition of long COVID-19, the symptoms and the potential predictors of who will suffer from the condition. Leveraging data and insights from BioWorld, Cortellis, and clinicaltrials.gov, the team also analyzed the potential therapeutics in development to treat the syndrome while simultaneously asking: How can there be therapeutics if we don’t even have a final consensus definition? To date, the team is tracking 41 drugs in development, with just three in late-stage experiments.
Collectively, researchers are seeking disease timelines and symptoms in age ranges, genders and geographic locations. Drugs that are being tested feature inhaled, intranasal, intravenous, oral and rectal versions of medicines, including antivirals, stem cells, biologics, naltrexone, anti-inflammatories, statins, antibiotics, antioxidants, remdesivir and humanized monoclonal antibodies.
Lynn Yoffee, Publisher, BioWorld said: “So far, we know there are 19 symptoms related to this syndrome that range from long-term fatigue to multi-organ failure. So, this is about much more than just a respiratory illness. The impact on society could be enormous because we have no idea how long people will continue to experience the syndrome, which is still being defined. BioWorld is now tracking 41 studies of potential therapeutics in development. That’s a short list compared to the 787 drugs in development to treat active disease. But it’s understandable, because researchers are still grappling with a firm definition of the syndrome and statistics that completely identify the patient population.”
For more exclusive, in-depth analysis of the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, visit here and here.
To learn more about the consensus around what long COVID is, why that consensus is important and what sort of treatments are in the pipeline, listen to the BioWorld Insider Podcast, Long COVID: Long COVID: Potentially the next public health crisis.
Join the conversation, use hashtags #BioWorld and #LongCOVID, mention BioWorld on Twitter and Clarivate for Life Sciences & Healthcare on Twitter and LinkedIn.
With writers and editors stationed around the globe, BioWorld published by Clarivate, reports the breaking news – and provides key perspective on hundreds of therapeutics and devices in development, the companies behind those candidates, the business development transactions that evolve the markets, and the regulatory hurdles that both challenge and guard the processes. BioWorld has a long tradition of excellence in journalism. Collectively, the news services have been honored with 63 awards dating back to 1998, including 15 for our daily news services.
About Clarivate
Clarivate™ is a global leader in providing solutions to accelerate the lifecycle of innovation. Our bold mission is to help customers solve some of the world’s most complex problems by providing actionable information and insights that reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing inventions in the areas of science and intellectual property. We help customers discover, protect and commercialize their inventions using our trusted subscription and technology-based solutions coupled with deep domain expertise. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.
Media Contact:
Catherine Daniel
media.enquiries@clarivate.com
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159266/Clarivate_Logo.jpg
