Dr. Joe GN Garcia speaks on the impacts of COVID-19 in the year 2020 in PharmaVOICE Magazine Nov/Dec Issue
Nov / Dec 2020
One of the biggest trends we are tracking is the development and outcomes for therapeutics that treat both early-stage COVID-19 and COVID-19-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). As expected during the time of a pandemic the first priority is to “re-purpose” medications to see if they will have a therapeutic benefit. Since our company is highly focused on acute lung injury and inflammation associated with ARDS, we are closely monitoring some of the ongoing clinical trials. For example, if we look at the IL-6 inhibitors, which have proven successful in rheumatoid arthritis, unfortunately, they have not proven successful in reducing hospitalization or an enhanced mortality benefit in COVID-19 ARDS. We are tracking many companies and their clinical trials, along with FDA interaction so we can ensure we are maximizing and optimizing our overall clinical development and regulatory plans.