The drug “Surfactant-BL”, which reduces the mortality of patients with coronavirus, was included in the recommendations of the Russian Ministry of Health for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. This was announced on March 1 to Izvestia by Alexander Prepyalov, general director of the company “Biosurf”, where the drug was developed.
It is noted that the drug, developed 20 years ago, will help patients with severe pulmonary complications. Predyalov clarified that experts noticed a fivefold decrease in mortality in those groups of patients where Surfactant-BL was used.
“Russian clinics are now able to prescribe the drug to all patients who need it, without wasting time on conducting a medical commission,” Prepyalov said.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the drug was used at the N.N. V.A. Almazov, in the clinics of the FMBA of Russia, in the Perinatal Center of Tyumen and a number of other Russian clinics.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3,500 patients have been treated with our drug,” said the developer of the drug, head of the medical biotechnology laboratory of the Russian Scientific Center for Radiology and Surgical Technologies named after V. A.M. Granova, founder of the company “Biosurf” Oleg Rosenberg.
According to Rosenberg, clinics will be able to purchase the drug using the amount paid by the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund for the treatment of patients with coronavirus.
“Surfactant-BL” is administered to patients in the form of inhalation, when saturation decreases to 92%, and oxygen support does not help. The drug helps the alveoli to stay flat and oxygenate the blood. The use of the drug, according to the company, can reduce the mortality rate of seriously ill patients from 80% to 14.3%.
In the fall of 2020, Russian doctors have already pointed out the effectiveness of the drug obtained by Russian scientists from the lungs of cattle. Surfactant is a liquid that lines the pulmonary alveoli from the inside, BL stands for “bovine lung”.
There are about 10 surfactant preparations in the world. All of them, including the Russian one, were originally created to help premature babies who cannot yet breathe on their own due to immaturity of the lungs. But only the Russian drug is approved for use in adults.