The Ministry of Health announced on August 10 Vietnamese scientists have successfully produced antiviral medication Vipdervir which proves to be safe and effective in inhibiting the growth of SARS-CoV-2.
The Ministry of Health announced on August 10 Vietnamese scientists have successfully produced antiviral medication Vipdervir which proves to be safe and effective in inhibiting the growth of SARS-CoV-2.
Vipdervir is extracted and synthesized from medicinal herbs which are completely available in Vietnam, said Assoc. Prof. & Dr. Le Quang Huan, head of the research team from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).
The drug can prevent the virus from sticking to the host cell, making it impossible to penetrate into the host cell, according to the researcher. It can also inhibit the virus from multiplying in the cell, and can activate immune cells so that they recognize, block and eliminate virions.
Researchers have tested Vipdervir on rabbits and found that the drug is safe and inhibits the growth of H5N1 and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
On August 7, 2021, the Ethics Council under the Ministry of Health unanimously approved the researchers’ scheme to carry out human clinical trials of the Vipdervir pills at Hanoi-based Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
According to Assoc. Prof. & Dr. Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Vipdervir is the first COVID-19 drug made of medicinal herbs that has been licensed for clinical trials in Vietnam.
He said the drug needs further research and clinical trials in order to evaluate its effectiveness in COVID-19 treatment before official use.
“We are interested in how to cut short the clinical trial time so that the drug can be put into use soon given the complicated development of the pandemic at present,” Ha said.
Along with Vipdervir, the Institute of Chemistry under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has successfully researched a new method of synthesizing Favipiravir in the laboratory.
Unlike much-sought-after Remdesivir, Favipiravir is administered orally and has been approved for use in Italy, Japan, Russia and some other countries.
Source: VOV
