WHO endorses IVIG Therapy research of Dow University

KARACHI: The World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged the Dow University’s IVIG therapy research to treat patients suffering from the novel coronavirus, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The WHO in a letter to the university has called the drug important for treatment of the coronavirus disease.

Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) medical experts had announced in the April last year that they had devised intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with plasma obtained from the blood of patients recovered from COVID-19.

The plasma teeming with anti-bodies was donated by patients after recovering from the illness.

According to doctors, during trials the recovery percentage of the patients in extremely serious conditon and on ventilator remained over 50 percent, while the recovery percentage of the patients at HDU oxygenated beds found to be above 70 percent while they were treated with IVIG.

The research team headed by Dr. Shaukat Ali initially conducted lab tests and animal trials, which were successful. In the next step they initiated clinical trials, which were completed successfully.

Many countries across the world including Turkey, France and the U.S. holding clinical trials for plasma therapy or transfusion to fight the novel coronavirus.

However, Pakistani doctors said, the treatment they have devised is safer and more effective than plasma transfusion as it does not carry the undesired components of blood like plasma proteins, potential bacterial and viral pathogens.