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Postpartum hemorrhage would no longer be a problem
GENEVA (EFE) .- A new formula of a drug to prevent postpartum hemorrhage could save thousands of lives in low- and middle-income countries, according to a study by the World Organization of health (WHO).
"For years, the medical community has been looking for a drug that was not heat-sensitive, which remained stable and efficient at high temperatures, and now we have a candidate," said Metin Gulmezoglu, coordinator of the maternal health of WHO.
"The results of the study could not be better.We have the opportunity to save tens of thousands of lives in the poorest countries," added the expert.
The new drug, called "carbetocin – a stable temperature," is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius and 75% relative humidity without spoiling for three years, a key aspect that can be used in depressed areas. without access to a refrigerator.
To combat postpartum hemorrhage, oxytocin is traditionally used, but it must be kept at a stable temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, both during transport and storage, which is eminently impossible in many developing countries.
"At high temperature, oxytocin is degraded, not that it has harmful effects, but it's just not effective.We have seen places where the necessary dose is inoculated three times as a method to balance the lack of efficiency, "he explained.
Each year, about 70,000 women die worldwide due to postpartum hemorrhage, and after the mother dies, the risk that their newborns die increases dramatically.
Based on the results of the study, the WHO estimates that in September, she will be able to recommend the use of "carbetocin-stable temperature" as a method of prevention. postpartum hemorrhage.
The two molecules (oxytocin and carbetocin) are very similar, so they have very similar effects, only that the new drug is not sensitive to temperature changes.
"The idea is to recommend it as a preventive method, not as a treatment, because it has been shown that if the product is inoculated to the mother in the first minutes after birth, the chances of reduction of 40 to 50% are reduced, suffering from bleeding, "explained Gulmezoglu.
Currently, the WHO recommends inoculating all women with oxytocin after delivery, which will not change with the inclusion of the new cure.
In addition, the expert recalled that oxytocin has other important uses during childbirth, such as induction.
The study was based on a clinical trial with nearly 30,000 women, the largest of its kind, and to which women participated in 23 locations in ten countries: Argentina, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nigeria, United Kingdom , Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda.
For now, the carbetocin-stable temperature is only allowed to be used in clinical trials, so the next step after the positive results is to allow and regulate their daily use.
The study was conducted in collaboration with MSD For Mothers, an initiative dedicated to finding solutions to reduce maternal mortality, and the pharmaceutical company Ferring.
Once the drug is regulated, the three entities will study how to implement it massively in countries where maternal mortality is high, since the agreement signed prior to the study included an affordable distribution in 90 low-income country.
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