While experts around the world have been trying to create a specific vaccine against the virus behind the global pandemic, there have also been attempts to repurpose existing medicines, to help the scores of patients that badly need treatment. Russian pharmacists on Saturday said they have found one such drug – Mefloquine – to be effective in stopping Covid-19.

The drug, which has been around since the 1970s, blocks the degenerative effect Covid-19 has on cells and doesn’t allow the virus to replicate further, the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) said in a statement. They added that Mefloquine’s immuno-suppressive effect prevents the inflammatory response caused by the disease.

The Russian medics have been working on “an effective and safe scheme to prevent coronavirus infection on the basis of mefloquine, which not only would overcome the peak of incidence but would also effectively control it in the future,” the FMBA said.

There have been 228 new coronavirus cases registered in Russia in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall number of infected to 1,264. Up to six Covid-19 patients have died, with four deaths officially confirmed.

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