COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

The study proposes to conduct an open-label Phase II trial to evaluate the feasibility, safety and early efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) administration in reduction of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and development of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in high-risk, healthy acute care provider participants exposed, directly or indirectly, to COVID-19 patients. There is a more than 50 years track record of safety of HCQ for treatment and prevention of various disease states. Early data on use of HCQ for COVID treatment suggests anti-viral activity and immunomodulatory properties for reducing inflammation associated with COVID-19.

ACEIs as treatment for COVID19

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Danoprevir sodium tablet combined with ritonavir for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.

Immunotherapy based on Adoptive Cellular Transfer (ACT) uses several types of immune cells, including dendritic cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, lymphokine-activated killer cells, and NK cells. NK cell-based immunotherapies are an attractive approach for treating diseases because of their characteristic recognition and killing mechanisms; they are involved in the early defense against infectious pathogens and against MHC class-I-negative or -low-expressing targets without the requirement for prior immune sensitization of the host and are able to lyse target through the release of perforin and granzymes and using antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity pathways mediated by Fc receptor for IgG (CD16). The aim of this project is to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of allogeneic NK cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy donors in patients infected with COVID-19 collected by apheresis. This allows us to collect cGMP PBMCs and immunomagnetic remove several types of undesirable cells including B, T and CD33+ cells with enrichment of NK cells that will be expanded in bioreactors with GMP culture media (AIM-V) supplemented with human AB serum and GMP grade IL-2, and IL-15. After quality control verification the final NK cell product will be resuspended in 300 mL saline solution for intravenous infusion. Initially, we will enroll in this study ten COVID-19 infected adult patients with moderate symptoms (NEWS 2 scale score>4). Consent forms will be signed by the patient before the therapy. Patients will be treated with three different infusions of NK cells 48 h apart with 1, 10, and 20 million cells/kg body weight. We will follow the patients for any adverse effect, clinical response and immune effects by flow cytometry including markers for NK cells expressing different markers (CD158b, NKG2A, and IFN-y). We anticipated that the release of IFN-y by exogenous NK cells could attract other immune cell populations to boost the immune response against COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and causes substantial morbidity and mortality. There is currently no vaccine to prevent Covid-19 or infection with SARS-CoV-2 or therapeutic agent to treat COVID-19. This protocol CORIMUNO19-COAG will evaluate the efficacy and safety of active anticoagulation using heparin: Tinzaparin (INNOHEP®) or unfractionated heparin (Calciparine®, Héparine Sodique Choay®) in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in conventional or intensive care units. It will use a phase 2 randomized open-label multicentre clinical trial, where patients will be randomly allocated to anticoagulation versus Standard of Care.

Bevacizumab, ZERIBEV® (Pfizer)/AVASTIN® (Roche) 25 mg/ml ®, is a recombinant humanised monoclonal IgG1 antibody It seems interesting to use bevacizumab in severe patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 requiring hospitalization in conventional unit or in ICU. This protocol CORIMUNO19-BEVA will evaluate the efficacy and safety of AVASTIN®/ ZERIBEV® (bevacizumab) COVID-19 patients hospitalized in conventional units. This phase 2 randomized clinical trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of AVASTIN®/ ZERIBEV® (bevacizumab) alone versus standard of care (SoC) in patients hospitalized in conventional units.

A total of 278 patients are planned. All patients will be in an early-stage of COVID-19. They must be adults and hospitalized. In this study, all participating patients will receive the standard treatment provided according to the current treatment protocols for coronavirus disease. In addition to this treatment, each patient will be randomly assigned to receive additional treatment with convalescent plasma transfusion (CP; blood plasma from patients who have been cured of coronavirus), or continue with standard treatment but without adding transfusion. 50% of the chances of additional treatment with CP, and 50% of the chances of receiving only the standard treatment for coronavirus. The duration of the study shall be one month from the assignment of the treatment. The patient and the doctor will know the treatment assigned.

Currently there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs specifically for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. At present, clinical management includes infection prevention and control measures, as well as supportive care, including supplementary oxygen and mechanical ventilatory support when indicated. An array of drugs approved for other indications as well as several investigational drugs are being studied in several hundred clinical trials that are underway across the globe; however, currently there are no clinical trials available to patients in Arizona. This study will determine if a specific drug cocktail can improve clinical outcomes in patients with confirmed Mild SARS-CoV-2

This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of Methylprednisolone versus Tocilizumab in improving clinical outcomes and reducing the need for ventilator support in COVID-19 patients with moderate COVID-19 disease at risk for complications of cytokine storm. Approximately 310 participants hospitalized with COVID-19 in UMMC, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Hospital Tuanku Jaafar will be enrolled into this study. Eligible participants will be selected based on a set of clinical, laboratory and radiological parameters indicative of early stages of CRS and lung function decline prior to being randomized at a ratio of 1:1 to receive either Tocilizumab or Methylprednisolone. Participants will be monitored daily for clinical and laboratory parameters, and at 48 hours, switched to the alternate study arm should they manifest signs and symptoms indicative of decompensation.

The aim of the project is to better understand the Covid-19 inpatient course of the disease and to quickly identify the positive experiences in the treatment in order to update guidelines for the treatment and use of medication.