WHO delivered medicines to be used in "Solidarity Trials" to help COVID-19 patients in Islamic Republic of IranTehran, 3 May 2020 — The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered additional medicines to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its participation in the Solidarity Trial, a global effort to find an effective treatment for COVID-19.

The Solidarity Trial is a large, international study designed to discover which treatments for COVID-19 are the most effective. It provides simplified procedures for hospitals even with a very high number of patients. More than 100 countries from all parts of the world are participating. Two countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, including Islamic Republic of Iran, are taking part in the trial.

Four re-purposed medicines – Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Interferon (β1a), and hydroxychloroquine – are being evaluated.

“The Solidarity Trial will be conducted in 16 provinces in 29 major hospitals that have substantial numbers of inpatient admissions for COVID,” says Dr Christoph Hamelmann, WHO Representative in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Islamic Republic of Iran has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis, with a total number of 97 424 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 6203 deaths, reported as of 3 May 2020; 78 422 recovered patients have been discharged from hospitals across the country.

The shipment of medicines is part of WHO’s many deliveries of essential medical supplies to help Islamic Republic of Iran cope with the crisis. The shipment also included another 100 000 laboratory tests for COVID-19.

WHO had previously shipped other clinical trial medicines, Lopinavir and Ritonavir, to Islamic Republic of Iran on 23 March.