Anti-fibrotic drugs effective in COVID-19 patients: Army Institute of Cardiothoracic Sciences

For first time in country, anti-fibrotic drugs have been used to treat patients suffering from COVID-19-related lung fibrosis and breathlessness which has helped in recovery of four such patients in Maharashtra's Pune, Army has said.

" researchers at Pune-based Army Institute of Cardiothoracic Sciences (AICTS) have found this rapy very effective in this subset of COVID-19 patients and y were safely tolerated as well. This is a vel strategy to tackle lung fibrosis to treat subset of COVID-19 patients," release said.

It said se are early results and more research is being undertaken in this field to identify patients who are likely to benefit from rapy.

"Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in manment of severe cases by commencing anti-fibrotic rapy in four such patients who were difficult to wean from oxygen due to extensive lung fibrosis. patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery," it said.

It said a breakthrough in manment of severe cases has been achieved by pulmologists at Pune-based AICTS by commencing anti-fibrotic rapy (tablet Nintedanib) in four such patients.

" rapy proved to be very helpful in reducing oxygen requirement of se patients and y were discharged home on minimal oxygen after few weeks.

"This is first time in country that se anti-fibrotic drugs have been used in COVID-19 related lung fibrosis. se drugs have been used for or s of lung fibrosis secondary to auto-immune diseases (arthritis related) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis," it said.

se drugs have an established safety profile in se fibrotic diseases, statement said.

"Researchers at AICTS have found this rapy very effective in this subset of COVID-19 patients and y were safely tolerated as well. This is a vel strategy to tackle lung fibrosis to treat subset of COVID-19 patients," it said.

release said it h been observed that a significant number of patients treated for severe COVID pneumonia are developing lung fibrosis, which means a severe scarring of lung tissue that causes low oxygen levels.

"This may manifest as fatigue, breathlessness and lifelong requirement of oxygen support," it said.

" lung fibrosis is usually seen in those patients who are detected late and have extensive pneumonia. Many a times, it becomes difficult to wean se patients off oxygen in spite of anti-inflammatory rapies like steroids and y remain in ICU for a long period of time," it ded.