St. Pete Standard

Alexia Khammanivong was one of the first 100 COVID patients treated with Aviptadil, a medication credited with bringing her out of a monthlong coma.

The 21-year-old St. Petersburg resident was seven months pregnant when she developed complications due to COVID and went into a coma.

While she was on a respirator fighting for her life, the doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa decided to deliver her infant by caesarean section even though she was only 30 weeks pregnant.

Doctors delivered her son Kyrie, who seemed healthy at first, but died two weeks later due to complications from being born premature.

Khammanivong nearly passed away herself but saw a remarkable improvement after doctors prescribed Aviptadil, also know as Zyesami, which has traditionally been used an erectile dysfunction medication but has shown promising results in restoring lung function of desperate COVID cases.

Research suggests Aviptadil works by blocking inflammation and helping regulate the body's immune response.

The medical staff called her recovery “miraculous” as her oxygen levels improved and she regained consciousness.

Khammanivong did not know she had lost Kyrie at first.

“He’s at peace,” Khammanivong told the Tampa Bay Times. “Whatever happened, happened. That won’t change anything now.”

She is now recovering from lingering aftereffects from being in a coma and has been doing outreach to family and friends about protecting themselves from COVID.

“If you love yourself, your baby and your family, do everything you can to protect them,” Khammanivong told the Tampa Bay Times.

CDC data show that since March 2020, more than 75,000 pregnant women have been infected, of whom 13,000 have been hospitalized with complications and 82 have lost the battle.

JAMA Internal Medicine  published a study in January concluding that pregnant women infected with the virus were more likely to have major complications, including premature birth.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved Aviptadil for emergency use, limiting its reach to COVID patients like Khammanivong.

NeuroRX Pharmaceuticals published a safety report showing critical care patients who were given Aviptadil in combination with remdesivir saw excellent results in restoring lung function.

Germany recently greenlit a phase-2 trial of an inhaled version of the drug.