COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

SAM-COVID is a retrospective cohort study that aims to determine the impact of immunosuppressive drugs and immunoglubulins in the outcome of patients with COVID-19.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been considered as a promising approach for the early rehabilitation of patients in and/or after the intensive care unit (ICU). Aim of this study is to evaluate the NMES effect on physical function of COVID-19 patients.

A recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. The clinical characteristics of COVID-19 include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, dyspnea, and pneumonia. As of 25 February 2020, at least 77 785 cases and 2666 deaths had been identified across China and in other countries; in particular, 977 and 861 cases were identified in South Korea and Japan, respectively. The outbreak has already caused global alarm. On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and issued advice in the form of temporary recommendations under the International Health Regulations (IHR).It has been revealed that SARS-CoV-2 has a genome sequence that is 75%-80% identical to that of SARS-CoV, and has more similarities to several bat coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh reported human-infecting member of the family Coronaviridae, which also includes SARS-CoV and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV. It has been identified as the causative agent of COVID-19. Both the clinical and the epidemiological features of COVID-19 patients demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to intensive care unit (ICU) admission and high mortality. About 16%-21% of people with the virus in China have become severely ill, with a 2%-3% mortality rate. However, there is no specific treatment against the new virus. Therefore, it is urgently necessary to identify effective antiviral agents to combat the disease and explore the clinical effect of antiviral drugs. One efficient approach to discover effective drugs is to test whether the existing antiviral drugs are effective in treating other related viral infections. Several drugs, such as ribavirin, interferon (IFN), Favipiravir (FPV), and Lopinavir (LPV)/ritonavir (RTV), have been used in patients with SARS or MERS, although the efficacy of some drugs remains controversial. It has recently been demonstrated that, as a prodrug, Favipiravir (half maximal effective concentration (EC50) = 61.88 μmol·L-1, half-maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) > 400 μmol·L-1, selectivity index (SI) > 6.46) effectively inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells (ATCC-1586). Furthermore, other reports show that FPV is effective in protecting mice against Ebola virus challenge, although its EC50 value in Vero E6 cells was as high as 67 μmol·L-1. Therefore, clinical studies are urgently needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this antiviral nucleoside for COVID-19 treatment. After enrollment of the patients (day 1) depending on inclusion and exclusion criteria and laboratory findings confirming the presence of the COVID-19 virus, 25 patients will receive Favipiravir plus standard treatment and the second group of 25 patients will receive standard treatment only. The comparison of the findings of the follow up studies on days 4, 7, and 10 in terms of clinical manifestations, chest X-ray and laboratory findings, such as Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) results for viral presence will determine whether Favipiravir has safety and efficacy against COVID-19 infections. All ethical issues related to this trial including right of the participants to withdraw from the study should be maintained according to of guidelines of International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH)-Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

COVID-19 patients who develop severe disease often develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a result of a dysregulated immune response. This in turn stimulates a pro-inflammatory cascade ("cytokine storm") as well as emergency myelopoiesis. This proinflammatory cascade is activated when viral-mediated cell damage occurs in the lungs, resulting in the release of damage-signaling alarmin molecules such as S100A8/A9 (Calprotectin), HMGB1, Resistin, and oxidized phospholipids. These damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are recognized by the pattern recognition receptor Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) found on macrophages, dendritic cells and other innate immune cells and result in additional release of pro-inflammatory molecules. Several recent studies have shown that S100A8/A9 serum levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients positively correlate with both neutrophil count and disease severity. Taken together the DAMP-TLR4 interaction forms a central axis in the innate immune system and is a key driver of the pathological inflammation observed in COVID-19. We hypothesis that targeting the initial step in the signalling pathways of these DAMPs in innate immunity offers the best hope for controlling the exaggerated host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. EB05 has demonstrated safety in two clinical studies (>120 patients) and was able to block LPS-induced (TLR4 agonist) IL-6 release in humans. Given, this extensive body of evidence we believe EB05 could ameliorate ARDS due to COVID-19, significantly reducing ventilation rates and mortality.

The investigators aimed to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of neonates who will be born to Covid-19 positive mothers in Turkey. It is a multicentric prospective cohort study designed and destined only in Turkey. The investigators are planning to admit more than 20 Neonatal Intensive Care Units into the survey; nevertheless, the total number may change according to the prevalence of Covid-19 in neonates. The investigators will also inquire into vertical transmission by collecting cord blood, placental, and postnatal serum samples to test for Covid-19 PCR and Covid-19 Ig M and IgG values from the neonates.

This is a multi-centered, retrospective, observational study aimed at observing the current status of the management of gastrointestinal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the changes on surgery protocols and other key aspects of surgical workflow, so as to share experience with colleagues both domestic and abroad.

The present study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 disease and its treatment on ventricular repolarization, assessed by measuring the QTc interval, in patients admitted to the critical care unit.

Patients with mild and severe COVID 19 will be randomized 1:1 into two groups: experimental, which will get bromhexine and spironolactone, and control. Patients will get investigated therapy for ten days. Change in clinical assessment score COVID 19 (CAS COVID 19) between baseline and 12th day will be evaluated as a primary endpoint. Forty-five-day risk of death or mechanical ventilation will also be assessed.

A seroconversion test for SARS-Cov-2 will be offered to all the employees of a care institution, which has treated 240 patients hospitalized for COVID disease between 28/02 and 30/04/2020. The seroconversion test will be with a questionnaire to determine: - whether the subject has shown signs of infection in the last 3 recent months - if the subject has been in contact with COVID-diagnosed subjects (RT-PCR diagnosis or scanner) outside of the activity or within the professional activity (patient or colleague) - Working conditions during the period - The level of knowledge and respect of the barrier measures practices. - Respect for distance during meals professional. Overall seroprevalence and stratified seroprevalence by care and administrative areas will be determined.

QuadraMune(TM) is a nutritional supplement which has previously been demonstrated to possess antiinflammatory and immune modulatory activity based on in vitro and pilot in vivo studies. The current clinical trial aims to assess in a 500 volunteer trial the efficacy of QuadraMune(TM) in reducing infection in individuals at high risk of COVID-19.