COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

Since December 2019, China and then the rest of the world have been affected by the rapid spread of a new coronavirus infection called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus), the clinical expression of which is called Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). It is estimated that around 20% of symptomatic patients will be severe enough to warrant hospitalization, of which around 5% will be in intensive care. Organ damage is multiple in Covid infection: respiratory, digestive, renal, neurological, cardiovascular due to the infection or its care. There is also a psychological and social impact of the infection or of the care that should be measured. In this context, investigator will assess the physical and psychological complaints of patients who have presented a severe form of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The final objective being to identify the needs to offer follow-up adapted to this emerging pathology.

This is a randomised, multi-center, open label, adaptive, exploratory trial to assess the efficacy of two different drug regimens in terms of preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease in healthcare workers at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The trial will compare two different experimental medication arms to the control arm comprising the use of standard personal protective equipment (PPE) with no additional pharmacological intervention.

Remdesivir is a monophosphoramidate prodrug of an adenosine analogue and it has a broad-spectrum antiviral activity against paramyxoviruses, falviviruses and coronaviruses. It showed in vitro activity on human airway epithelial cells against SARS-CoV-2. It is an investigational drug and granted an Emergency Use Authorization by Food and Drug Administration FDA, so it is under clinical trial. The potent mechanism of action of this drug is still unclear but it effects through several processes. It can interfere with nsp12 polymerase even when exoribonuclease proofreading is intact. It can also produce nucleoside triphosphate NTP that acts pharmacologically active alternate substrate of RNA-chain terminator, as a result NTP can constrain active triphosphates into viral RNA of coronaviruses. There is evidence of high genetic barrier to develop resistance against Remdesivir in coronavirus as a result of which is maintains its effectiveness in antiviral therapies against these viruses. Effectiveness of Remdesivir has been reported against different groups of coronaviruses including Alphacoronavirus NL63 and several SARS/MERS-CoV coronaviruses.

Many non-invasive ventilatory choices are available for COVID-19 patient who are having mild to moderate respiratory distress and their use will decrease the chance of ICU admission, intubation and mechanical ventilation in severe cases of COVID-19. However, all these respiratory supports and oxygen supply devices are aerosol generating and their selection should be precised enough to control nosocomial spread. High flow nasal cannula HFNC is a device that delivered the warmed and humid air on high flow rate through nose. It is used to treat severe respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients, a non-invasive ventilatory approach which is relative comfortable by using humidified and pre-heated air containing large concentration of oxygen. In acute respiratory failure HFNC is proven to be very effective and it also reduced the need of mechanical ventilation in severe patients. Apart from the supply of oxygen, HFNC generating positive airway pressure and decreasing the rebreathing from anatomical dead space. Prone position is also a save therapy and has been proven to be effective for refractory hypoxia by increasing tidal volume, oxygenation and diaphragmatic functions in ARDS patients. Recent studies showed that prone positioning and HFNC might avoid the prerequisite of intubation in moderate to severe patients of ARDS and as a result it decreases the nosocomial infection in physicians who are doing these aerosol generating procedures.

This is a randomized, double blind, placebo parallel-controlled phase III clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) in Argentine healthy population aged between 18 and 85 years old.

Multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel, blinded, interventional, treatment clinical trial with two arms. Population: 500 Hospitalized patients with pneumonia derived from COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-19), either confirmed by RT-PCR (Real Time polymerase chain reaction), or suggested by typical findings on the computed tomography scan symptomatic. Experimental group: nitazoxanide 500mg 8 / 8 hours for 5 days. Control group: placebo 8/8 hours for 5 days.

The most accepted description of severe COVID-19 disease is development and over production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Autopsy studies have been done on COVID-19 patients proved that severe disease is resulted due to deviant host-immune response and cytokine storm. Elevated inflammatory biomarkers like C-Reactive protein (CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines shown to be higher in severe disease of COVID-19. Several studies on severe COVID-19 have revealed raised levels of plasma cytokines like IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, Gamma interferon (INF), Tumor necrosis factor Alpha TNF. The Cytokines release syndrome (CRS) is a hyperinflammatory deadly syndrome characterized by release of uncontrolled immune system activation which is responsible for multi-organ failure. It has the main role in ARDS due to SARS-CoV-2 virus which binds to alveolar epithelium and resulting in IL-6 release that is responsible for increase alveolar-epithelium permeability. In many studies it has been observed that IL-6 have played a main role in CRS induction. Previous experiences from hyperinflammatory and cytokine storm syndromes recommends that early involvement of inhibiting CRS is essential to prevent lethal tissue damage and poor clinical outcome. In this scenario the judgement of clinical specialist who are suggesting that evidence of CRS can be cured with glucocorticoids, I/V immunoglobulin and anti-cytokine therapy cannot be ignored.

Multicenter retrospective chart review of patients admitted to any of the four Methodist Health System hospitals

To study signals of efficacy and safety of a currently available dosage form (IM) of EG-009A in reducing the severity of respiratory disease in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 virus.

This study investigates the diagnostic performance of an AI algorithm in the detection of COVID-19 pneumonia on chest radiographs.