London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Dexamethasone can help save lives of very ill patients, British trial into low-cost drug finds

Dexamethasone can help save lives of very ill patients, British trial into low-cost drug finds

Researchers gave the anti-inflammatory drug to some 2,000 hospitalised patients. Dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third for patients on ventilators and one-fifth among patients who were on supplemental oxygen

A low-cost and widely available drug has been found to reduce the death rate by one-third among most severe Covid-19 patients, according to trial data published on Tuesday.

Dexamethasone, a generic anti-inflammatory medication, was hailed as the first life-saving drug by the University of Oxford scientists leading the coronavirus treatment testing project named “RECOVERY”.

Scientists around the world are racing against the clock to find a treatment for Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus that has sickened over 8 million and killed more than 431,000 globally. There are currently no specific treatments or vaccines for the deadly virus.

The trial gave a low dose – 6 milligrams – of the steroid to 2,104 hospitalised patients for 10 days and results were compared with 4,321 patients who did not use the drug.

Dexamethasone reduced deaths by one-third for patients on ventilators and one-fifth among patients who were on supplemental oxygen, compared to those who only received usual care.

However, the drug showed no benefit to those who did not require respiratory support, which is generally to assist the more critical patients.

The findings were published through a statement on Tuesday. There was no mention of peer review.

The Oxford researchers said they are “now working to publish the full details as soon as possible”, but are calling for the drug to become the “standard of care” in patients requiring oxygen treatment.

“The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients,” said Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at the University of Oxford and one of the chief investigators for the trial.

Martin Landray, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Oxford and also one of the chief investigators, said that the results showed the drug is the “first treatment demonstrated to reduce mortality is one that is instantly available and affordable worldwide”.

“It’s going to be very hard for any drug really to replace this, given that for less than £50 [$63] you can treat eight patients and save a life,” Landray said in an online briefing.

Nick Cammack, Covid-19 therapeutics accelerator lead at UK-based research charity Wellcome Trust called for the drug to be used worldwide.

“Dexamethasone must now be rolled out and accessed by thousands of critically ill patients around the world. It is highly affordable, easy to make, can be scaled up quickly and only needs a small dosage. Any and every successful treatment against Covid-19 must be made available to everyone who needs it globally, regardless of their ability to pay,” Cammack said.

“Potentially preventing one death in every eight ventilated patients would be remarkable,” he said. “While this study suggests dexamethasone only benefits severe cases, countless lives will be saved globally.”

An antiviral drug, remdesivir, is also being used in the treatment of patients in some countries with the benefits of shortening treatment time but scientists have different views about its effectiveness.





Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×