For the good of the game and its players, let’s get behind R&D efforts for treating concussions.
Regardless of what happens on the field, Super Bowl LV is one for the history books. It’s sure to go down in history as “The Covid-19 Bowl.” Decades from now, sportscasters and fans will recall Super Bowl LV with references to social distancing, limited seating capacity, and contagion.
That’s because a pandemic trumps all else. Like other domains, football learned a great deal over the past year about how to respond. Protocols were put in place to track/trace the virus, and actions were taken to limit the spread. Vaccines hold great promise–perhaps no greater promise than the prospect of returning our lives to some semblance of normality.
But taming COVID won’t eliminate health and safety concerns associated with the game. One reason is that players are getting concussed on the gridiron.
Yes, the NFL has made strides over the past decade or so in raising awareness about brain injury and establishing protocols to try to stem the problem. But if there’s one thing we know, it’s that players are still getting concussed. Consider what happened to KC’s Patrick Mahomes during this year’s Divisional round NFL playoff game v. the Cleveland Browns.
And there’s something else we know. Youth football participation is dropping because of safety concerns. More and more parents are aware of the risks, and many encourage their children to explore other sports.
What’s the take-away message? The brain injury epidemic will prove to be a more lasting challenge to football’s survival than COVID-19. And that’s why it’s time for football to approach brain injury with the same zeal it has addressed COVID-19.
Proactive actions can help safeguard players from concussions. But we need more than that. We need medical treatments to lessen the symptoms of concussions and treat the underlying damage.
And hope is on the horizon. Like the highly anticipated COVID-19 vaccines, concussion drugs could be a game-changer–not just for the game, but for those who play it. A handful of concussion drugs are in various stages of clinical trials. But even with the progress made to date, it will likely take four or five more years before concussion drugs are on the market.
There’s no need to wait to get behind R&D efforts for treating concussions. We need to ensure that innovators have everything they need from the medical establishment, pharmaceutical companies, the government, investors, and the sports industry.
Our athletes deserve no less.
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Vishal Bansal, M.D. F.A.C.S. is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals. Oxeia is conducting Phase 2 human clinical studies for its therapeutic drug, OXE-103, to treat concussions.
Richard Sherman helped the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII before becoming a cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers. A member of Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals’ Advisory Board, Sherman is committed to advancing brain health and NFL player safety.
