During the COVID-19 pandemic the global discourse was heavily skewed toward vaccines and therapeutics were an afterthought, according to experts.
But therapeutics play a crucial role in a pandemic, Sharon Lewin, director of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, said. The world was lucky that vaccines were developed quickly for COVID-19, but that not might not be the case during the next pandemic. Instead, therapeutics — treatments such as drugs that can alleviate symptoms and prevent disease progression — could be a critical tool in managing the crisis.
Lewin gave the example of HIV, which after decades of research still doesn’t have a vaccine. However, antivirals have turned the infection from a death sentence into a chronic manageable disease — and the drugs also block transmission.
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
