Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early COVID-19

[multigraincracker]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cheap-antidepressant-shows-promise-treating-223735055.html


The pill, called fluvoxamine, would cost $4 for a course of COVID-19 treatment. By comparison, antibody IV treatments cost about $2,000 and Merck's experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 is about $700 per course. Some experts predict various treatments eventually will be used in combination to fight the coronavirus.

[PoliticAverse]

1. "is about $700 per course" - and apparently costs them about $18 to produce...

https://theintercept.com/2021/10/05/covid-pill-drug-pricing-merck-ridgeback/

[Meowmee]

2. I think I read about this one in a study

A while back. I will read more.

[lapfog_1]

3. hmmmm... not exactly a cure but it does seem to help

"In the group that took the drug, 11% needed hospitalization or an extended ER stay, compared to 16% of those on dummy pills."

there should be a larger study.

And in combination with dexamethasone and the new Merck pill.

[multigraincracker]

4. Throw in a little Prozac

for good measure.

[LeftInTX]

13. They are looking at Prozac because this particular drug is a form of Prozac

[multigraincracker]

14. One and the same.

Prozac the manufacturers name for it. I was on it for years and developed permanent tremors from it. One of those side effect that got me.

[MineralMan]

5. All paths are worth following long enough to see where they lead.

However, not all paths lead to the desired destination.

The study mentioned in this story is far too small and not nearly definitive enough to indicate that it is going to be effective. We've jumped on far too many bandwagons with broken wheels during this pandemic.

Stay skeptical and wait for further studies before getting excited. That's my advice.

[Wounded Bear]

7. Indeed. Promoting drugs that are off-label for what they are designed for...

is often driven more by marketing strategies than medical ones.

[MineralMan]

9. Yup.

Where have we seen that before? None of those promotions produced anything of value. What has? Well, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and preventive precautions. Those have all produced excellent results.

[Wounded Bear]

10. The Merck pill is showing promise...nt

[lagomorph777]

6. I've heard there's a way to almost completely prevent it for $20 (or free to the patient).

Something that might, someday, make a slight dent in symptoms for an unvaxxed person for $700 doesn't sound very exciting.

[48656c6c6f20]

8. I hope you mean Vaccine?

Got to be careful even here, I wouldn't want folks thinking you're talking about horse paste. 🤣

[lagomorph777]

11. Hah! Yes, the vaccines.

[LeftInTX]

12. Brand name is Luvox which is Prozac's sister...No thanks!! It's an SSRI

I really doubt this will be effective for Covid...

One of the side effects of Luvox is agitation and insomnia. I really don't see how this benefits Covid...

They are also looking at Prozac as treatment of Covid....I can't take Luvox or Prozac...

They said that SSRIs are anti-inflammatory...Yeah, I guess so....(Many anti-depressants are anti-histamines)

[Raftergirl]

15. I wouldn't be so quick to write it off.

I take an antidepressant for a chronic inflammatory pain syndrome. It is now completely under control for the price of $10 for a 90 supply. I haven’t had a flare since going on it 8 years ago.

Of course more studies need to be done on this particular drug before it can be deemed to be effective.

You can read the study here.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00448-4/fulltext