Scientists Develop Anti-viral Drug to Treat Dengue

Permission has been received from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct human testing of the new antiviral drug for treating dengue.

Trials will be conducted in 20 cities across the country.

Derived from plants, AQCH, is anti-viral in nature. It was tested successfully in labs and on mice.

‘The antiviral compound is highly efficient against all known dengue strains and could be utilized for both treatment and prevention.’

Trials will be conducted at one medical college in Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Belgaum, Chennai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Visakahapatnam, Cuttack, Khurda and Nathdwara.

At each centre, a total of 100 patients will receive this treatment.

The patient should be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for trials. Infection in the patient should have been confirmed 48 hours before the testing.

The patient will be kept in hospital for eight days, during which he will be administered the drug for seven days. He will be kept under observation for 17 days after being given the medicine.

It is pertinent to note that there is no specific medicine for the treatment of dengue. Patients are treated on the basis of symptoms.



Source: Medindia