View
comments
A multiple sclerosis drug combined with the antiviral remdesivir did not improve the conditions of COVID-19 patients, a new federal study reveals.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released results from a clinical trial on Monday looking at the drug, called interferon beta-1a, as a treatment for the virus.
Researchers found it was not more effective when combined with remdesivir compared to remdesivir used alone in hospitalized Covid patients.
What's more, among a group of patients who needed high levels of oxygen, interferon beta-1a was linked to worse outcomes.
The NIH expanded a clinical trial last year testing a drug called interferon beta-1a (pictured) - which treats multiple sclerosis and has anti-inflammatory properties - with remdesivir in COVID-19 patients versus remdesivir alone
Researchers found that there was no difference in the time of recovery when hospitalized Covid patients were given the drug compared to just remdesivir. Pictured: Members of a Covid critical care unit treat a COVID-19 patient inside his isolation room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, September 2021
Interferon beta-1a belongs to a class of medications known as immunomodulators, which reduce inflammation and prevent nerve
