The Maharashtra government has stopped using plasma therapy in treating severe Covid-19 patients as data shows higher number of deaths in the group who received plasma.
Sponsored by the state’s medical education department, it was said to be one of the largest trials in the world involving 472 participants.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) a few months ago had said that Convalescent Plasma Therapy may be removed from the national guideline for the treatment of novel coronavirus after an ICMR study revealed that it did not help in reducing mortality or slow the progression of Covid-19.
The decision was taken three weeks ago when an interim analysis of data showed higher deaths in the group receiving the plasma. The researchers also found the possibility of the plasma increasing thrombotic tendency (clotting of blood inside the vessel) in the recipients. The trial was being carried out across the state’s 21 medical colleges, and around 150 participants had been recruited so far. Of these, at least half had received plasma.
“Deaths rates seemed to be higher in the plasma arm (group), although not significantly higher than the placebo arm. Still experts thought it was best to stop the trial and understand if the plasma or severity of disease itself was responsible. We didn’t observe any real benefits,” said an investigators on condition of anonymity.