Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

The COVID-19 pandemic has already overwhelmed the sanitary capacity. Additional therapeutic arsenals, albeit untested in the given context but previously proven to be efficacious in a related clinical context, that could reduce the morbidity rate are urgently needed. A decrease of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a validated bad prognosis marker in sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In contrast, auricular vagus nerve stimulation was proven not only to increase HRV values in healthy Humans, but also to reduce sepsis and increase survival, both significantly, in experimental models. Moreover, the heavy viral infection within the brainstem of deceased patients suggests that the neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV2 is likely to be partially responsible for COVID-19 acute respiratory failure and may bear relevance in tailoring future treatment modalities. Interestingly, the vagus nerve (or tenth cranial nerve) connects bidirectionally the brainstem to various internal organs including the lung and to one external organ, namely, the outer ear. Hence, the impact of auricular vagus nerve stimulation through semi-permanent needles will be studied, mostly used so far for pain alleviation, on the outcome of COVID-19 inpatients within 15 days.

Blood samples from participants who have recovered from COVID-19 infection will be obtained and studied. The goal of the research is to identify antibodies that have been generated by the patient to fight the COVID-19 infection. By identifying the most effective antibodies, scientists can make specific antibodies to use to prevent future coronavirus outbreaks or to treat patients with severe disease.

Several patients with hypoxaemic SARS-CoV2 pneumonia were able to benefit from hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in China. In a clinical case published in the Chinese journal of hyperbaric medicine, treatment with repeated HBO sessions prevented admission to intensive care unit with mechanical ventilation in a patient aged 69 who presented with signs of respiratory decompensation. HBOT is the most powerful oxygenation modality in the body today. HBOT can dramatically increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood. HBOT not only promotes blood transport but also its tissue delivery. Furthermore, HBOT has specific immunomodulatory properties, both humoral and cellular, making it possible, for example, to reduce the intensity of the inflammatory response and to stimulate antioxidant defenses by repeating sessions. A virucidal capacity of HBOT might also be involved. HBOT is generally regarded as safe with very few adverse events. Following this feedback, it is proposed in the context of crisis management related to SARS-CoV2 to assess the value of HBO treatment of patients with CoV2 pneumonia. Indeed, it seems essential to propose therapeutic strategies to limit the risk of respiratory decompensation requiring admission to intensive care unit for patients with SARS-CoV2 pneumonia.

The prone position consists of placing the patient on his or her stomach with the head on the side, during sessions lasting several hours a day and could help spontaneous ventilate the patient.

Some patients infected with the COVID-19 can develop uncontrolled immune response, leading to potentially life-threatening damage to lung tissue. Tocilizumab was first approved by the U.S. FDA in 2010 for rheumatoid arthritis and might now be used to treat serious COVID-19 patients with lung damage, according to China's National Health Commission updated its treatment guidelines in 7th version.Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) was recommended by China's National Health Commission treatment guidelines in 1st-7th version to control sever COVID-19 patients.

To develop practical and effective clinical diagnosis and treatment schemes for the control of novel coronavirus pneumonia.

Prone positioning (PP) is an effective first-line intervention to treat moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, as it improves gas exchanges and lowers mortality.The use of PP in awake self-ventilating patients with (e.g. COVID-19 induced) ARDS could improve gas exchange and reduce the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, but has not been studied outside of case series.The investigators will conduct a randomized controlled study of patients with COVID-19 induced respiratory failure to determine if prone positioning reduces the need for mechanical ventilation compared to standard management.

The aim of the COVI-PRONE Trial is to determine if early awake prone positioning in COVID-19 patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure; irrespective of the mode of oxygen delivery; reduces the need for invasive mechanical ventilation.

This study plans to learn more about the effects of Dornase Alfa in COVID19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) patients, the medical condition caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Dornase Alfa is a FDA-approved drug for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, which facilitates mucus clearance by cutting apart neutrophil-derived extracellular double-stranded DNA. This study intends to define the impact of aerosolized intra-tracheal Dornase Alfa administration on the severity and progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients. This drug might make lung mucus thinner and looser, promoting improved clearance of secretions and reduce extracellular double-stranded DNA-induced hyperinflammation in alveoli, preventing further damage to the lungs. The study will recruit mechanically ventilated patients hospitalized in ICU who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and meet ARDS criteria. It is a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicentric, open-label clinical trial. The goal is to recruit 100 patients.