Do the Balearics hold the Secret to a Covid-19 Cure?
Tuesday, July 7th, 2020
Sun, sea, sandy beaches, olives, tapas and wine – this and much more springs to mind when we think of the Balearic Islands. A cure for coronavirus is usually not on the list of things we associate with this beautiful holiday destination – however, that may be about to change.
First clinical trials with a drug called Aplidin are currently being conducted with Coronavirus patients in Spain. The drug’s active ingredient is derived from a marine invertebrate called Aplidium Albicans, which can be found in the waters off Mallorca’s neighbouring island Ibiza.
Aplidin has been around for some time – it was originally developed as a drug for multiple myeloma, a bone marrow tumour, and is approved for use with this diagnosis in Australia and South East Asia. In Europe, approval of Aplidine as an anticancer drug was rejected as it was found to only marginally improve the life expectancy of affected patients. However, the drug is now being tested for its effectiveness with SARS-CoV-2 on patients in four Spanish hospitals.
The potential efficacy of the medication is based on a potent antiviral substance produced by the marine animal. It is similar to the drug Remdesivir, which has recently gained conditional approval for the treatment of Covid-19 in Europe. However, the active ingredient contained in Aplidin is much stronger than that of Remdesivir. Therefore, it is felt that the powerful antiviral agent could prove very successful in halting the progression of SARS-CoV-2.
Preliminary results of the study are promising however, the trial is still in its initial stages. It is therefore too early to say how long it may take before the efficacy of Aplidin as a successful treatment for Covid-19 can be confirmed.
