Emerging Markets Report - Biotricity’s Bioflux RMT a Critical Tool in Reducing Fatalities Among COVID-19 Patients

ORLANDO, Fla., April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As government and private institutions race to develop an effective cure for patients infected by COVID-19, two antimalarial drugs--chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine--have shown some possible potential. Under an emergency use authorization (“EUA”), the FDA has authorized these antimalarial drugs to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to COVID-19 patients, as appropriate, when a clinical trial is not available or feasible. Though both drugs are still in their testing phases.

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine pose cardiac risks. And so managing those risks during the treatment process is key to the successful implementation. In a recent press release, Biotricity (OTC: BTCY), a medical diagnostic and consumer healthcare technology company, announced that its premier product Bioflux can serve as a critical life-saving tool in monitoring and diagnosing the cardiac conditions of coronavirus patients.

This Risk of Unproven Malarial Drugs to Treat COVID-19

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, drugs that are currently being studied and used to treat COVID-19 patients, have been known to cause QT prolongation, a condition that can cause irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) which in some cases can be fatal.

According to a recent Forbes article, Mayo Clinic cardiologist Michael Ackerman commented that “The concern really is if we’re talking millions of patients, then this issue of drug-induced sudden cardiac death is absolutely going to rear its ugly head.”

Bioflux is Designed to Perform QT Analysis
According to Biotricity’s latest press release, “One of the key features that Bioflux has is the ability to record QT variability and ranges. This is particularly important since a known side effect of many drugs is QT prolongation which can lead to very serious arrhythmias.” This feature potentially makes Bioflux a significant tool in the monitoring and treatment of patients receiving hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.

In addition to performing QT analysis, Bioflux--a remote monitoring technology (RMT)--allows patients to be monitored and diagnosed from their homes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the desperate need for a new group of remote patient monitoring and tele-health solutions. Both types of solutions can be effective toward infection containment, making interventions and diagnoses faster,” says Waqaas Al-Siddiq PhD, founder and CEO of Biotricity.