Three potential drugs for COVID - 19 patients to be tested in 52 countries

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ZURICH, Aug 11 - The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a clinical trial in 52 countries will examine three potential drugs for COVID - 19 patients as anti-inflammatory therapies.

These therapies - artesunate, imatinib and infliximab were selected by an independent expert panel for their potential in reducing the risk of death in hospitalised COVID - 19 patients, it said in a statement.

Artesunate is already used for severe malaria, imatinib for certain cancers and infliximab for diseases of the immune system such as Crohn's Disease and rheumatoid arthritis.