--- title: "Cheap Drug Appears to Cut COVID Deaths By 30 Percent" description: "According to experts, a drug used to reduce inflammation for a variety of conditions cut the risk of death of COVID-19 patients on ventilators by a third." date: "2020-06-16" modified: "2020-06-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/cheap-drug-dexamethasone-cut-covid-deaths-30-percent" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "hydroxychloroquine" - "immune system" - "remdesivir" --- # Cheap Drug Appears to Cut COVID Deaths By 30 Percent ![According to experts, a drug used to reduce inflammation for a variety of conditions cut the risk of death of COVID-19 patients on ventilators by a third.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* A drug used to reduce inflammation for a variety of conditions cuts the risk of death for COVID-19 patients on ventilators by a third, the [*BBC* reports]() — an astonishing margin that could change the course of the world's battle against the pandemic. "This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality — and it reduces it significantly," Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Oxford and lead researcher, told the *BBC*. "It's a major breakthrough." The drug, a low-dose steroid called dexamethasone, stops the body's immune system from over-reacting and causing a "cytokine storm," a common cause of death for patients who get seriously ill with COVID. For the same reason, the drug didn't help those with milder symptoms, who didn't require oxygen or a ventilator. The drug trial, conducted by Oxford University, involved 2,000 hospital patients. They then compared the group to 4,000 other patients who did not take it. In addition to the finding about patients on ventilators, the researchers found that for patients who require oxygen, the drug cut deaths by a fifth. The cherry on top: the drug is cheap and widely available. "There is a clear, clear benefit," Landray added. "The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about £5 per patient. So essentially it costs £35 to save a life. This is a drug that is globally available." The news comes after the Food and Drug Administration [pulled emergency authorization]() for the use of the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine on Monday to treat the coronavirus, in light of troubling trial results, some of which showed the drug may actually [do more harm than good](). The effectiveness of a different antiviral, called remdesivir, has also been called into question by the FDA after it was [touted]() by White House health advisor Anthony Fauci as a promising COVID-19 treatment in April. On Monday, the agency [warned healthcare providers]() that the drug shouldn't be used in combination with hydroxychloroquine. In early May, the FDA [granted emergency use]() of remdesivir for COVID-19 patients. There's still plenty of work to be done before we can call dexamethasone a standard treatment plan for severe cases of COVID-19 — but early results look promising. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()