Parl panel urges Centre to issue strict guidelines against use of Plasma Therapy

"The committee understands that devising a full proof treatment plan will have to be substantiated by different phases of clinical trials and habe to be governed by strict protocols. The committee, therefore, recommends ICMR to widen the scope of its clinical research and studies and keep on updating it's database which could prove beneficial in containing and mitigating Covid19 as well as such future outbreaks," the committee said in its report.

New Delhi: Being aware of the fact that Plasma therapy is still being used to treat Covid patients, a Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare has asked the Central government to issue strict guidelines against the use of such "drugs when the evidence conclusively shows that it does not work for Covid treatment."

The committee also suggested that Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) should widen the scope of its clinical research and studies and keep on updating it's database which could prove beneficial in containing and mitigating Covid19 as well as such future outbreaks.

The Parliamentary committee in its 130th report presented in the Rajya Sabha recently took note of the different initiatives taken by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for devising treatment protocol for Covid19.

"The committee understands that devising a full proof treatment plan will have to be substantiated by different phases of clinical trials and have to be governed by strict protocols. The committee, therefore, recommends ICMR to widen the scope of its clinical research and studies and keep on updating it's database which could prove beneficial in containing and mitigating Covid19 as well as such future outbreaks," the committee said in its report.

The committee headed by Rajya Sabha MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav also recommends ICMR to collaborate with other international institutes and pharmaceutical companies to test the safety and effectiveness of different drugs and devices.

In its action taken report, the health ministry said that ICMR conducted the world's largest clinical trial on benefit of using plasma therapy in Covid19 infected patients (PLACID trial).

"The trial indicated no significant benefit of plasma therapy...thereafter ICMR has issued an advisory regarding the use of convalescent plasma in Covid19 infected patients," the health ministry said.

The ministry further said that ICMR has collaborated with Biological Evans to evaluate the efficacy of the hyper-immune horse serum for treating Covid19 infected patients.

Different studies especially researchers in Brazil has found that antibody fragments produced in horses may be an efficient approach to combat Covid19.

The committee is of the view that those drugs whose efficacy for treating Covid19 patients gave been established should be used for hospitalised patients and the drugs should be prescribed only after multi-layered trials and detailed study.

The committee recommends the ministry to issue clear guidelines for safe use of drugs.

The committee notes that there have been instances where certain drugs were prescribed for Covid19, but clinical trials gave unfavourable results.