Polyoxidonium® added to updated Temporary Anti-COVID-19 Guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health

The original drug Polyoxidonium^® (azoximer bromide) has been added to the updated Temporary Anti-COVID-19 Guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the novel coronavirus infection. According to the document, azoximer bromide is indicated for non-specific drug prevention of COVID-19.

In the fall of 2023, Russian authorities record a significant increase in COVID-19 incidence again, with the number of detected cases having increased by 15% over the past week, as reported by the Federal Response Center^[1].

On October 26, 2023, the Ministry of Health approved revised temporary Anti-COVID-19 Guidelines No. 18 by adding Polyoxidonium^® thereto.

The Russian drug developed by Petrovax Pharm was added to the document upon successful data from the meta-analysis titled “Experience of Using Azoximer Bromide for the Prevention of Acute Respiratory Infections and COVID-19 in Adults in High-Risk Groups (Red Zone Medical Workers)”, which covered 1,141 participants aged 18 to 69 years^[2].

Doctors in the red zone who received Polyoxidonium^® as prevention therapy showed greater resistance to infection, and COVID-19 was diagnosed in them 3 times less often than in the control group. The study also noted a favorable tolerability profile for the drug.

The main indications of Polyoxidonium are the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza in adults and children aged 3 years or older^[3]. Clinical trials of the drug for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 began at the peak of the pandemic in 2020. In the same year, Slovakia included it in its^[4] COVID-19 treatment recommendations. The drug is also added to the FMBA Guidelines^[5] for the prevention and treatment of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the Flu in Adults clinical recommendations of the Russian Ministry of Health^[6]. Polyoxidonium^® is also on the list of Vital and Essential Drugs and is widely used in Russia and abroad, including the EU.

#COVID #Recommendations #Ministry of Health #Polyoxidonium

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¹ https://xn—80aesfpebagmfblc0a.xn—p1ai/information/

² https://www.rmj.ru/articles/infektsionnye_bolezni/opyt-primeneniya-azoksimera-bromida-dlya-profilaktiki-ostrykh-respiratornykh-zabolevaniy-i-covid-19-u-vzroslykh-iz-gruppy-povyshennogo-riska-infitsirovaniya-meditsinskikh-rabotnikov-krasnoy-zony-metaanaliz-kontroliruemykh-klinicheskikh-issledovaniy/

³ Dosage form: tablets

⁴ https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?Hlavna-sprava-COVID-19

⁵ https://www.garant.ru/products/ipo/prime/doc/405623221/

⁶ https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/recomend/749_1