NEWS
Roll-out of life-saving arthritis drug for COVID-19
The NHS is rolling out a cutting-edge, life- saving COVID treatment, which is proven to save lives when given to the most seriously ill COVID patients in hospital.
The RECOVERY trial, carried out through the NHS, found that 13% fewer severely ill patients died of COVID when treated with arthritis drug baricitinib, compared to existing treatment options. Typically used to treat arthritis to reduce pain and inflammation, baricitinib can now be given to hospitalised COVID patients in addition to current treatments, and clinical studies show that this can provide benefits on top of existing treatment. It is the latest in an armoury of COVID treatments that the NHS has at its disposal, which now includes three repurposed arthritis drugs – with baricitinib joining tocilizumab and sarilumab – that have treated more than 32,000 of the most severely ill COVID patients in hospital. The NHS has led the rollout of COVID medicines, from the discovery of dexamethasone as the world’s first effective treatment, to the first vaccination outside of a clinical trial in December 2020. These arthritis drugs work by reducing inflammation caused by COVID-19 by blocking signals to the immune system that are causing it to attack the body. Baricitinib bolsters the options at doctors’ disposal when looking to treat hospitalised patients in the most effective way and can be used to supplement other COVID treatments in patients aged two and over. As well as these arthritis drugs, the NHS continues to use other monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments, and combined these COVID medicines have been given to hundreds of thousands of patients, saving tens of thousands of lives.
Using existing drugs in different ways is
part of the world-leading innovation that is being carried out by the NHS, in line with the Long Term Plan commitment to develop and
Decontamination and sustainability There are many challenges
with delivering sustainability in decontamination across healthcare and dental practices, from disposal of single-use PPE to the efficacy of decontamination and reusable surgical instruments. However, sustainability needs to be considered as a key aspect in all our clinical and decontamination units.
implement cutting-edge treatments. NHS Medical Director, Professor Steve
Powis, said: “The more effective COVID treatments within the NHS arsenal, the more options doctors have to help patients who become seriously ill with COVID, preventing hospital admissions and saving lives. “This is the fourth drug that has been fast-tracked for use on the NHS, thanks to the world-leading RECOVERY trial, and is just as important because it gives our hard-working clinicians another life-saving treatment option and strengthens our defence against COVID-19. “Finding ways to beat COVID has showcased the very best of the NHS’s power to find creative and innovative ways to care for patients and implement new treatments, which includes, in this case, successfully repurposing an existing drug to treat a deadly virus.” The agreement to offer baricitinib to treat COVID patients in hospital makes it the 7th COVID treatment approved in for use on the NHS. It will treat hospitalised patients in line with MHRA guidance.
The CSC wants to play its part by bringing together industry experts, to discuss how to incorporate sustainability into healthcare buildings, how to demonstrate practical sustainability in decontamination and what can be achieved in the future. A range of themes are planned for discussion at a dedicated event, hosted by the CSC, at the Manchester Exhibition Centre, on Monday 10 October 2022. Topics will include: practicalities of sustainability in a working decontamination unit; innovation and sustainability of PPE decontamination; reducing the NHS reliance on single-use face masks and other PPE; sustainability of single-use versus reusable surgical instruments; and endoscopy decontamination and sustainability. This event is ideal for all those with an interest in sustainability in decontamination and infection prevention, including decontamination technicians, decontamination managers, infection prevention practitioners, engineers and providers of healthcare services, products and equipment. The CSC Autumn Study Day not only presents the chance to learn, it also provides the opportunity to network with multi-disciplinary decontamination practitioners from across the UK. Visit:
www.centralsterilisingclub.org
JUNE 2022
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM l
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