Related to my piece this morning about tests for a COVID-19 vaccine, there are also reports of very early tests (very early) for a possible treatment using…Pepcid AC! It’s not the heartburn medication itself they’re interested in, but the active drug it uses, famotidine. It’s a cheaper drug than what’s used in Prilosec, and researchers in China found that people who live in poorer areas had a death rate of 14%, while richer areas were 27%. And since heartburn seemed to be a symptom of the condition, the poorer areas were using Pepcid AC (which costs less), while the richer areas were using the more expensive Prilosec. That got researchers the idea to test what might be going on. The thinking is that famotidine may combine with a COVID-19 pathogen and block it. But studies are in the extremely early stages. The plus side is that famotidine is an approved drug without any serious side effects when used properly. The only concerns of scientists are that 1) there could be a run on Pepcid and generics (which there was been, they're largely sold out on Amazon), leaving a shortage for those who need it – or for scientists so that it can be tested, and 2) that people don’t take it as recommended and overuse it would could cause problems for them.
And to be clear, this is for something that would be a treatment for those who have already contracted the coronavirus, not a vaccine to prevent infection.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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