New York hospitals are studying a common heartburn drug as treatment for Covid-19

[Geek]

People are buying up a heartburn medicine that's being tested as a coronavirus treatment, leading to shortages

• Famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid AC and other heartburn medicines, is being studied as a coronavirus treatment.
• There's no word yet that it could be useful at all, but that isn't stopping people from stocking up.
• At Walgreens, CVS, and on Amazon, most famotidine medicines were in low stock around the country.

The active ingredient in many heartburn medications is being studied as a coronavirus treatment, leading to shortages of popular heartburn brands at major US pharmacies.

Famotidine, an antacid and antihistamine found in the brand Pepcid AC and generic medications, is being used in a trial by researchers at Northwell Health in the New York City area, Dr. Kevin Tracey told Business Insider.

Even as Tracey urged people not to go out and hoard heartburn medicines, retailers like Amazon and Walgreens appeared to already be experiencing shortages.

On Amazon, Pepcid AC and all three generic options found through a search were unavailable or otherwise out of stock on Monday afternoon. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At CVS, the US's largest pharmacy chain, famotidine — either in Pepcid or generic form — was out of stock at most New York locations, according to its website. Searches in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and other cities produced similar results, with most locations out of stock. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walgreens appeared to have experienced the same rush as CVS, with ZIP codes around the US showing out-of-stock notices at most locations searched by Business Insider, with a few stores showing limited stock. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It's still too early to tell if famotidine will be useful in any treatment for coronavirus patients, Tracey said. Even if some benefits are found, patients in the study are taking extremely high doses intravenously, far more than someone would ever take for heartburn.

"You should not go to the drugstore and take a bunch of heartburn medicine," he told CNN.

People are buying up a heartburn medicine that's being tested as a coronavirus treatment, leading to shortages

Famotidine, the active ingredient in Pepcid AC and other heartburn medicines, is being studied as a coronavirus treatment.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Sohail Shuja]

Some people might not be hoarding it for the treatment of COVID-19, but due to the fact that it is a regular medicine which is prescribed to be taken on daily basis (Once or twice daily). So anyone, who has been prescribed Famotidine may be hoarding up supplies for his/her regular problem of Hyperacidity and/or gastrointestinal ulcers/lesions etc.

Another contributing factor might be the limited production and sluggish supply due to Lockdowns.

 

[Chillpill]

Shuja Bhai, this could be true and effective for the people at the begining of the theer virus attack, as they stay that virus stays for three four days in the throat area (varying in different people) and then moves down to lungs so it could be that virus is killed while in throat area.

 

[BrotherKantu]

People are stupid. sell whatever you want to sell them.


.​

 

[Raiwind-Destroyer]

they just want to sell all the medicines that were not selling fro quite sometime by saying they studying of different medicines

 

[BrotherKantu]

These heartburn medicines cause kidney failure and kidney stones.


.
Acid reflux, ulcer medication linked to kidney stones, chronic kidney disease
Link:-
Heartburn drugs connected to kidney stones

Drugs commonly used to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers can have damaging effects on the kidneys

 

[Sohail Shuja]

Shuja Bhai, this could be true and effective for the people at the begining of the theer virus attack, as they stay that virus stays for three four days in the throat area (varying in different people) and then moves down to lungs so it could be that virus is killed while in throat area.

Well, in that case, the anti-acidic property of the drug will make it more comfortable for the virus to flourish in the throat. Actually the acid in the gut kills the bacteria and viruses. So, if you lower the acidity, you increase the chances of survival of such pathogens in the throat area or thoracic cavity.

 

[kakamuna420]

people are stupid and their leaders are cheaters. Increase immunity with a high dose of vitamin C (daily). that is it

 

[Masud Javed]

These are just the tricks to increase the sale of their products
nothing more, nothing less

 

[Shareef Insaan]

 

[Shareef Insaan]

 

[Raiwind-Destroyer]

soon they will blame that Alien spread this virus

 

[Navedkhann]

I found these articles to be interesting as they thoroughly explained the theory of using Famotidine for COVID-19:

JMIR Preprints #19199: Delivering Benefits at Speed through Real-World Repurposing of Off-Patent Drugs: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Case in Point

JMIR Preprints #19583: No Time to Waste: Real-world Repurposing of Generic Drugs as a Multifaceted Strategy against COVID-19