“The Pharmacashita Research and Production Center of the FMBA of Russia, taking into account Chinese and French experience, has developed a treatment regimen for coronavirus infection based on the antimalarial drug mefloquine,” the report said.
This scheme is proposed for inclusion in the guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Russia for the treatment of coronavirus.
In addition, the development of a prophylaxis of coronavirus infection based on mefloquine began.
"The drug with high selectivity blocks the cytopathic effect of coronavirus in cell culture and prevents its replication, and the immunosuppressive effect of mefloquine prevents the activation of the inflammatory response caused by the virus," the press service quoted FMBA head Veronika Skvortsova.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Health expanded the list of possible drugs for the treatment of a new coronavirus infection.
In particular, these include lopinavir + ritonavir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, interferon preparations, as well as umifenovir, remdesivir, and favipiravir that are at the stage of clinical trials.