Devex: No proven treatment: The dilemmas doctors face on the COVID-19 frontline
“…As coronavirus cases [passed] 10 million [last] week, with the death toll of over half a million people, and no drug found to be effective, doctors on the frontline around the world are making hard choices — whether to resort to standard care management or subscribe to strict protocols in administering investigational therapies, while carefully weighing the benefits and risks of these drugs…” (Ravelo/Byatnal, 7/3).

Reuters: WHO sees first results from COVID drug trials within two weeks
“The World Health Organization (WHO) should soon get results from clinical trials it is conducting of drugs that might be effective in treating COVID-19 patients, its Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday. … The Solidarity Trial started out in five parts looking at possible treatment approaches to COVID-19: standard care; remdesivir; the anti-malaria drug touted by U.S. President Donald Trump, hydroxychloroquine; the HIV drugs lopinavir/ritonavir; and lopanivir/ritonavir combined with interferon…” (Nebehay/Mason, 7/3).

STAT: Data show panic and disorganization dominate the study of Covid-19 drugs
“In a gigantic feat of scientific ambition, researchers have designed a staggering 1,200 clinical trials aimed at testing treatment and prevention strategies against Covid-19 since the start of January. But a new STAT analysis shows the effort has been marked by disorder and disorganization, with huge financial resources wasted. The analysis, conducted in partnership with Applied XL, a Newlab Venture Studio company, found that one in every six trials was designed to study the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, which have been shown to have no benefit in hospitalized patients…” (Herper/Riglin, 7/6).

Additional coverage of research into treatments for COVID-19 is available from CNBC, The Hill (2), Reuters, and UPI.