Quinine Approved by US FDA to Treat COVID-19|老藥"奎寧" 獲美FDA核准治療新冠病毒

發布時間：2020/3/26 17:00 更新時間：2020/3/26 18:55

Jake Chen

As there are currently no specific drugs available to treat COVID-19 , Quinine and Remdesivir are currently the medication used to treat patients infected with COVID-19. In Taiwan, Quinine is most commonly used. However, a couple in the U.S. has suffered heavily from a suspected drug allergy after taking Quinine on their own. One of them died and the other is in a critical condition, bringing the side effects of Quinine to public attention.

U.S. President Donald Trump said at a recent press conference that Quinine, a medicine used to treat malaria, has been approved by the country's FDA to treat COVID-19. However, a couple in the U.S. recently took Quinine without a doctor's order, and one of the pair subsequently died while the other is in critical condition. It is suspected that they suffered from the drug's side effect. The incident has brought to public attention the potential safety concerns of the drug. A doctor in Taiwan said that the chances of Quinine causing drug allergies are relatively low. He said over 1 million Quinine pellets are consumed by patients in Taiwan each year and the drug is relatively safe.

We know, to a certain degree, about the drug's side effects. Patients in Taiwan consume over 1 million Quinine pellets each year, many take the drug year round to treat rheumatoid arthritis. So the drug is basically safe. Its known side effects include allergies or discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. Zithromax has similar side effects as Quinine. They both affect the heart. But it's a matter of probability, and normally the chances of a patient suffering from drug allergies are very low.

Quinine, a medicine for malaria, has been used to treat COVID-19. On the other hand, Remdesivir, a newer type of medicine that is believed to be more effective in treating COVID-19, has not yet gone through adequate clinical tests in Taiwan, which makes Quinine the primary preferred choice. A doctor said that the clinical data of Quinine shows that it can prevent the virus from entering patient's cells.

Quinine prevents the coronavirus from attaching themselves to human cells. The drug can impede the possibility of RNA duplication.

The Central Epidemic Command Center said before that, if Quinine is proven effective in treating COVID-19, the government will issue 7 permits to local pharmaceutical companies that have adequate materials and capabilities to mass produce the medicine. The command center has stressed that Taiwan has the capability to manufacture the drug on its own.

日前美國總統川普，曾在記者會上公開表示，抗瘧疾藥物"奎寧"，已獲得美國食品藥物管理局核准，用於治療新冠病毒。不過，美國有一對夫妻，自行服用奎寧，疑似引發藥物過敏，一死一命危。奎寧藥物副作用，再度受到各界關注。國內醫師表示，藥物過敏是機率問題，台灣每年用藥超過上百萬顆，其實是相對安全的藥物。

台灣感染症醫學會理事長黃立民表示：「奎寧的副作用，我們比較了解。台灣每一年用幾百萬顆的奎寧，很多人是一次就吃一年，因為他們有類風濕性關節炎，基本上都是相當安全啦，主要是一些腸胃道的副作用或者過敏。日舒跟奎寧有同樣的副作用，他們對心臟會有影響，所以如果產生藥物過敏，那個是機率的問題啦，不過這個機率一般是非常低的。」

原本用來治療"瘧疾"藥物的"奎寧"，老藥新用，反觀對新冠病毒也有療效的"瑞德西韋"，台灣臨床實驗較少，奎寧成了首要選擇，醫師表示，根據臨床實驗資料顯示，奎寧能夠防止病毒入侵人體細胞。

中醫大兒童感染科主任黃高彬表示：「（奎寧讓)冠狀病毒，沒有辦法附著在我們人體的細胞，他會去抑制切斷它這種所謂的...核糖核酸的複製的這種功能。」

中央流行疫情指揮中心也曾表示，如果證實奎寧確實有效，國內原料充足，有藥廠能夠製作下一代藥物，全國目前共有7張許可證，強調奎寧這項藥物，從原料到製劑，台灣都有能力自行生產。