Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) has invited all hospitals in the Kingdom to participate in several clinical trials approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) on coronavirus.

The participation will help them pass on its benefits to patients and will enrich the established medical practices based on scientific evidence in Saudi Arabia.

The center is currently conducting several clinical trials on COVID-19 using different antivirals.

The first study bears the name (Avi Mild 19) for a trial on favipiravir that was manufactured in Japan and used in cases of mild illness. The second study, which is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, is called “FACT”.

It is based on a compound of favipraver and hydroxychloroquine that is used in cases of moderate malaria.

Meanwhile, the third study is about extracting plasma from the blood of those recovering from coronavirus, which is also being carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

The center is conducting the fourth study which is based on comparing different coronavirus treatment protocols to choose the best among them.

The Executive Director of KAIMRC, Dr. Ahmed Al-Askar, said: "Since there is still no antiviral for coronavirus approved by the SFDA, any medicine that is currently available is a subject of experiment."

Dr. Al-Askar stressed that the increasing number of clinical trials is one of the indicators of society’s medical and scientific development. He added that these studies come within the initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030 regarding medical research being led by KAIMRC with the support of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program in order to disseminate the culture of research and clinical trials in the Kingdom.