The government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal has been conducting drug trials for the treatment of COVID-19, which have yielded some good results, a senior official claimed on Saturday. The trials of the drug Mycobacterium W (Mw) were conducted on COVID-19 patients at AIIMS Bhopal for the last few days, the official said.

"So far, three COVID-19 patients have recovered after the clinical trial of Mycobacterium W (Mw) at AIIMS," director of the institute Dr Sarman Singh told Express. The trials were being run for the last few days and the results were good, as out of four patients enrolled for the trial, three had fully recovered and discharged, he said. Singh also informed that soon Favipiravir, a drug used in Japan, will also be used for COVID-19 treatment here.

If Mycobacterium W proves effective during the clinical trial, it will be used in the treatment of COVID-19, he said. Mycobacterium W was used in the treatment of leprosy and recently, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has tied up with Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd to evaluate the effect of this medicine for faster recovery of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, Singh said. Drug Controller of India has granted permission to conduct tests on critically ill COVID-19 patients at three major hospitals in the country including AIIMS Bhopal.