Anti-virus oral drug trial in North East

Family doctors and health professionals are enrolling people in the North East in a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of new oral treatments for COVID-19 which can be taken at home.

The Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of covid-19 In the Community (PANORAMIC) aims to assess a range of purpose-designed antiviral treatments which could help clinically vulnerable people with Covid-19 recover sooner and prevent hospital admissions.

Local people who receive a positive PCR test for Covid-19 will be contacted by the trial team, a local healthcare professional, or a research nurse, andaskedtoconsiderenrolling in the study.

Alternatively, anyone who meets the eligibility criteria can sign up to take part in the study at www.panoramictrial. org

People can join the study if they are aged 50 and over, or between 18 to 49 years with underlying health conditions thatmakethemclinicallymore vulnerable. All participants also need to have had a positive COVID-19 test and be within five days of the onset of symptoms.

Prof Nick Lemoine, medical director at the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network said: “When taken in the earliest stages of infection, these ground-breaking, purposedesigned, COVID-19 antiviral treatments hold the potential to greatly improve outcomes for patients most at risk from the disease.

"As orally-administered treatments,designedtobetakenathomesoonaftertheonset of symptoms, the drugs work by disrupting and preventing the virus from multiplying inside the body.”