ISLAMABAD – The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has given green signal for clinical trials of plasma therapy to treat the patients infected with COVID-19 from today, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza on Thursday.
The trial of passive immunization will be conducted under the supervision of renowned hematologist Dr Tahir Shamsi, who has long been advocating this procedure since the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Under this technique, blood plasma is extracted from a person who recovered from the same disease and then injected into the body of the patient.
The plasma generates anti-bodies in the immune system of the patient helping him fight off the virus.
Dr Mirza also announced that the DRAP also allowed drug manufacturers to boost the refining of raw materials used to make chloroquine, a drug which is partially effective in the coronavirus treatment.
Mirza further said that he had set up the DRAP committee to test the locally manufactured ventilators. “At a great speed they have already produced fast track acceptance test procedure for locally developed mechanical ventilators for COVID-19,” said Mirza.
