Saudi Arabia’s Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) approved on Sunday conducting an internationally refereed clinical trial for coronavirus (COVID-19) medication in seven hospitals in the Kingdom.

The clinical trial titled “An international randomized trial of additional treatments for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients who are all receiving the local standard of care” aims to obtain reliable data related to the effectiveness and safety of a number of antivirals in treating coronavirus: Remdesivir, Chloroquine, Lopinavir with Ritonavir and Interferon Beta 1b.

Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.

The clinical trial is being conducted under the joint auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and a number of health entities in the Kingdom, under the supervision of SFDA.

There are 4,462 confirmed coronavirus cases, 59 deaths in Saudi Arabia as of Sunday, according to the ministry of health.

Anti-coronavirus measures

The Kingdom has taken several measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus since the outbreak of the disease first began earlier this year.

On Saturday, a Kingdom-wide curfew was extended until further notice.

Last Monday, Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour curfew and lockdown on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran and Hofuf and throughout the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif, and Khobar.

Last month, malls were shut down throughout the country with only grocery stores and pharmacies allowed to operate. Restaurants and cafes were banned from serving food or drinks on their premises and could only offer delivery services. Public and private gatherings were also banned in places such as parks and beaches.

Prayers at mosques have also been suspended until further notice.

Read more:

Saudi Arabia extends coronavirus curfew measures until further notice

Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: 10,000 riyal fine, jail time for curfew violators

Timeline: Here are all the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to combat the coronavirus