Azvudine tablets included in CCP China's covid diagnosis and treatment plan

 Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

News on disease control

News (1)

Azvudine tablets are included in the covid diagnosis and treatment plan

Editor : Su Yiyu / https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2022/08-09/9823586.shtml, Refs: Refs: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272362.shtml, https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202207/26/WS62df2bd7a310fd2b29e6e4eb.html

Image : China Daily

According to the website of the National Health Commission, the General Office of the National Health  Commission and the Office of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued a notice on 9 August 2022 saying that according to the State Food and Drug Administration, azvudine tablets were approved to increase the treatment of covid. In order to further improve the antiviral treatment plan for covid, the drug was included in the "Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Plan (Ninth Edition)" after research. details as follows:

1. Drug name

Azvudine tablets.

2. Indications

For the treatment of adult patients with common covid (COVID-19).

3. Usage and dosage

Swallow whole tablet on an empty stomach, 5 mg each time, once a day, the course of treatment should not exceed 14 days.

4. Matters needing attention

It is not recommended to be used during pregnancy and lactation, and it should be used with caution in patients with moderate to severe hepatic and renal impairment.

Before using this drug, you should read the "Azvudine Tablet Instructions" approved by the State Food and Drug Administration in detail, and use the drug correctly according to the indications, usage and dosage specified in the instructions. Patients should take medication under the guidance of a physician. Before prescribing this drug, physicians should be familiar with the contraindications, adverse reactions, drug interactions, etc., and inquire about the patient's drug allergy history in detail, so as to avoid the use of patients with contraindications. All localities must strictly follow the requirements of the "Administrative Measures for the Reporting and Monitoring of Adverse Drug Reaction", and do a good job in monitoring and reporting adverse drug reactions to ensure drug safety.

News (2)

Azvudine initially meant for AIDS patients

Azvudine, developed by the Genuine Biotech Co based in Henan province, was first conditionally approved to treat HIV-1 infected adult patients with high viral loads on 20 July 2021, according to the National Medical Products Administration.

 

The newly issued greenlight, made possible via an emergency, accelerated approval process, clears the way for the pill to be used for adult covid patients with moderate symptoms, the administration said in a notice released on its official website.

News (3)

Azvudine effective against all covi variants

According to the company, third and late-stage clinical trials show that the oral medication is safe, can improve clinical conditions of patients and inhibit the virus within about five days.

Chang Junbiao, vice-president of Zhengzhou University and a leading researcher of the pill, said during an interview with Henan Daily that clinical trials show that the drug is effective against all emerging variants, including Omicron.

News (4)

Covid nasal spray vaccine authorized by US Patent Office

Reporters : Liao Yang, Ma Qingwen / Image of the covid nasal spray vaccine :  Ma Qingwen / https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2022/7/483444.shtm

 

Recently, the covid paramyxovirus vaccine strain and its construction method developed by Qingdao Haihua Biological Group Co., Ltd. were officially authorized by the U.S. Patent Office and approved through the U.S. Green Fast Track. The patent is independently developed and passed the review of the State Intellectual Property Office on 18 August 2021. This is the first nasal spray vaccine of China to obtain a U.S. patent.

The reporter learned that the patent was developed by means of mucosal immune technology, which is  an important achievement of the research team's one-year independent research and development. Mucosal immunity is currently recognized as one of the most effective immunization methods for the prevention and treatment of covid. It has the characteristics of faster effect and wider immune response. While using mucosal immunity technology, this patent innovatively adopts nasal spray inoculation to form the first immune barrier against virus invasion in the mucosa. The covi vaccine prepared by Haihua Biotechnology using this technical method has the characteristics of fast antibody production, convenient use, and rapid popularization of immunization after animal experiments. It can produce protective antibodies within 7 days.

Founded in 2016, Haihua Bio is a national high-tech enterprise integrating biomedical research and development, testing technology services. At the beginning of the outbreak of the new crown virus in 2020, the company's researchers immediately devoted themselves to the development of rapid detection kits for the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). At the same time, the research and development of a nasal spray paramyxovirus vector mRNA covi vaccine with completely independent intellectual property rights has also been carried out. In May 2020, the company completed the construction of the strain of the vaccine. Based on this, the research and development of the vaccine has made breakthrough progress. The test showed good safety and efficacy.

In 2021, Qingdao Haijian Group Co., Ltd. will become one of the major shareholders of Haihua Biotechnology. In 2022, Haihua Biological's revenue and profits will achieve explosive growth, and it will be selected into the list of key listed backup enterprises in Shandong Province.

News (5)

Chinese University of Hong Kong leads discovery of new treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

 

Source : China News Network, https://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2022/8/484065.shtm

According to Hong Kong's "Ta Kung Pao" report, in the past 10 years, the global incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has continued to increase. When more than 80% of patients are diagnosed, the disease is at an advanced stage, or cancer cells may metastasize, which is not suitable for accepting operation treatment. The Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) announced on 8 August 2022 that a multi-centre clinical study led by CUHK in collaboration with overseas medical institutions found that if selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is combined with standard chemotherapy, it can effectively treat inappropriate Surgically resected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Regarding the combined course of treatment, the median overall survival was generally higher than chemotherapy, which was 11.7 months, which could be increased to 21.6 months. The findings have been published in the prestigious medical journal Liver Cancer.

The clinical study was designed and initiated by the Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology. Three other Asian medical institutions subsequently joined the participation, including Thailand's Chulapong Hospital, Singapore's National Cancer Centre and the National University of Singapore Cancer Institute. A total of 24 suitable patients were screened for clinical research. Patients participating in the study will first receive SIRT with "yttrium-90", local treatment for liver tumours, and then standard chemotherapy.

Professor Yu Junhao, Professor of the Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, explained the efficacy of local therapy in treating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: "SIRT is the treatment of liver tumours by injecting radioactive substances containing 'yttrium-90' into the liver. It has long been shown to be effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, but there has been a lack of clinical data on SIRT for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, especially when SIRT is combined with standard chemotherapy."

The study results showed that patients who received SIRT alone had a median overall survival of 13.6 months; patients who received a combination of SIRT and standard chemotherapy had a median overall survival of 21.6 months. Of the 16 patients who received the new regimen, 25% had their tumours shrunk and 75% had their disease under control. Fewer than 10 percent of patients who received a combination regimen of SIRT and standard chemotherapy experienced moderate to severe side effects, suggesting the new treatment regimen is safe.

Lead researcher Prof. Chen Lin, Professor of Oncology, Yip Family Foundation, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the multi-centre clinical study was initiated by researchers to understand this uncommon cancer. He described this as a big challenge, thanking the efforts of medical institutions in different regions. "Our data will provide a new treatment option for patients whose cancer is concentrated in the liver and who are suitable for more intensive treatment."