NEW DELHI: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has decided to repurpose an approved immunomodulator to enhance innate immunity of the body to limit the spread of COVID-19 and fasten the recovery of the patients.
According to the CSIR, while the world is working towards developing vaccines and antiviral agents for the management of COVID-19, it has approved the immunomodulator — Sepsivac —through its flagship New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) programme.
“Sepsivac is expected to protect the close contacts of COVID-19 patients and healthcare staff by boosting their innate response and thereby preventing them from acquiring the disease and to provide quicker recovery to the hospitalised COVID-19 patients, who are not critically ill. It will also prevent the progression of disease wherein patients will need ICU management,” said scientists at the science and technology ministry.
Sepsivac contains heat-killed Mycobacterium W (Mw) and it is found to be extremely safe in patients and no systemic side effects are associated with its use.