A recent UK study has shown that a low-cost, anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone reduces death by up to one third in hospitalised patients with severe respiratory complications of COVID-19.
The results of the UK-based RECOVERY trial, one of the world's largest randomised trials of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients, were published on June 16.
Being termed a "major breakthrough" by experts leading the trial, the results show that dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third in ventilated patients and by one fifth in other patients receiving oxygen only.
Calling it a "groundbreaking development", the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said, "This is tremendous news today from the Recovery trial showing that dexamethasone is the first drug to reduce mortality from COVID-19. It is particularly exciting as this is an inexpensive widely available medicine."