First UK patients enrolled in clinical trial for possible Covid-19 treatments

The first UK patients have been enrolled in a clinical trial for possible Covid-19 treatments.

Researchers from Oxford University have launched a new clinical trial to test the effects of potential drug treatments for patients admitted to hospital with the virus.

There are currently no specific treatments for the coronavirus and it is possible some existing drugs used for other conditions may have some benefits.

Scientists say the randomised evaluation of Covid-19 therapy (recovery) trial will provide doctors and the health service with information they need to determine which treatments should be used.

The treatments initially included in the study have been recommended by an expert panel that advises the chief medical officer in England.

They are Lopinavir-ritonavir, which is normally used to treat HIV, and the steroid dexamethasone, which is used in a wide range of conditions to reduce inflammation.

Other potential treatments will also be assessed by the trial in the future.

Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health in the Nuffield department of medicine, Oxford University, and chief investigator for the trial, said: “There is an urgent need for reliable evidence on the best care for patients with Covid-19.

“Providing possible new treatments through a well-designed clinical trial is the best way to get that evidence.”

He added: “All patients will receive the standard full medical care, regardless of which treatment group they are placed in.”

Adult inpatients who have tested positive for Covid-19 in NHS hospitals, and not been excluded for medical reasons, will be offered the chance to take part in the trial.

Participants will be allocated at random by computer to receive one of the two drugs being studied or no additional medication. This will enable researchers to see whether any of the possible new treatments are more or less effective than those currently used for patients with the virus.

Martin Landray, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Nuffield department of population health, and deputy chief investigator, added: “The streamlined design of this clinical trial allows consenting patients to be enrolled in large numbers easily and without compromising patient safety or adding significantly to the workload of busy hospitals.

“In this way we can provide reliable information on the best ways to treat patients with this disease.”

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and NHS England medical director Professor Stephen Powis have written to NHS trusts in England asking them to fully support the new trial.