The European health regulator said on Wednesday it was evaluating Taw Pharma's branded steroidal drug dexamethasone as a potential COVID-19 treatment for hospitalised adult patients after it received an application from the drug developer.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement its human medicines committee (CHMP) would weigh-in on the application for Dexamethasone Taw within the shortest timeline possible. (https://bit.ly/31SOe1L)
Europe is already evaluating the decades old dexamethasone for COVID-19 after it garnered international attention when a study, dubbed RECOVERY, showed in June the drug reduced death rates by about a third in severely ill, hospitalised COVID-19 patients.
The EMA said results from RECOVERY would be considered in the assessment of Dexamethasone Taw.
Dexamethasone medicines, available in forms including oral and injectable versions, are already being used to fight inflammation in other diseases.
While final approvals are up to the European Commission, the executive lobby generally seconds CHMP endorsements. If approved, Dexamethasone Taw will be available as an injectable medicine for COVID-19, the EMA said.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka and Aakash Jagadeesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
