Metformin – Is the 3p ‘wonder diabetes pill’ the answer to treating COVID-19 ?

New Delhi: Chinese doctors believe metformin, a ‘dirt cheap’ diabetes drug, could help treat the novel coronavirus infection. The common diabetes medication has been hailed as a ‘wonder drug’ by some doctors in Wuhan, where the COVID-19 pandemic began, after studies show that metformin can reduce the body’s inflammatory response.

Metformin is a type 2 diabetes drug that lowers blood sugar levels and is usually prescribed along with a proper diet and exercise programme. The drug is also used to help prevent type 2 diabetes among those at risk of developing the condition.

Metformin costs just 3p per tablet and is already being used by the NHS.

Earlier this year, doctors in Wuhan have revealed that the death rate among COVID-19 patients taking metformin for diabetes was much lower than diabetics who did not take the drug. Also, research by the University of Minnesota came up with similar results, stating that the drug may help reduce the risk of death from coronavirus infection.

Studies have also shown that metformin could help overweight and obese people who are not diabetics lose weight. Scientists have claimed that the medication may help treat breast cancer. There is also evidence that the drug may help other conditions affecting older adults.

The good news is, metformin, like dexamethasone, is a cheap and widely available drug, which means it can be easily distributed to poorer countries. Dexamethasone, a low-cost corticosteroid used in a wide range of conditions, was the first drug shown to improve survival against coronavirus infection. The steroid was found to reduce mortality by about one third in critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring ventilators. For patients requiring only oxygen, it was shown to reduce the mortality by about one fifth.

Following report of positive data from the RECOVERY trial, dexamethasone has been approved for use in the treatment of COVID-19 in the UK. Recently, the Health Ministry has allowed the use of the anti-inflammatory drug for treating moderate and severe COVID-19 cases in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended the usage of dexamethasone for critically ill coronavirus patients.

These findings are significant and are being seen as a key in the global fight against the deadly virus in the absence of a specific treatment or vaccine. Metformin, at only pennies per dose, is being used by millions of people suffering from type 2 diabetes since 1950s.