Aviptadil, a drug from the 1970s, started being used for COVID-19

A study has shown that the drug aviptadil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, can prevent the novel coronavirus from damaging the lungs.

The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 and soon spread to all countries of the world so much that it was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Given that the virus is new, there is still no specific, 100% effective cure for the disease. While researchers around the world are on the verge of discovering a safe and affordable vaccine against coronavirus, some experts are still trying to find a positive effect on this disease of existing drugs, with the aim of using them to treat COVID-19.

According to the latest data, doctors in the United States have begun using another remedy for the treatment of COVID-19. The drug is called RLF-100 or Aviptadil. Aviptadil, which has been on the market since the 1970s, helps reduce respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients by effectively reducing coronavirus replication in the lungs.

According to Moneycontrol's report, the US FDA has already approved the drug for emergency use.

What is Aviptadil? It is a long-patented synthetic vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) drug that is produced by immune cells and nerve endings in the human body. It concentrates in the lungs and acts as a neurotransmitter. Responsible for increased muscle activity and improves blood flow in the intestines.

Aviptadil also has anti-inflammatory and anti-cytokine properties that help reduce respiratory symptoms in patients with COVID-19.

Various studies have shown that aviptadil can protect type II alveolar cells. These cells are involved in oxygen exchange in the lungs. The novel coronavirus is known to attack the lungs and cause respiratory problems as one of the main symptoms of the disease that this medicine can prevent.

Houston Methodist Hospital is the first to report the recovery of a seriously ill COVID-19 patient who was injected with the drug.

Aviptadil is widely used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. The Geneva-based pharmaceutical company Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG has a patent for RLF-100.

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