01 Jul 2020

CPC On-Demand Webinars

Clinical Trials searching for treatments for COVID-19

On Wednesday 17th June, Kathryn Murray, Lead Clinical Trials Pharmacist, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, discussed potential COVID-19 treatments, introducing the clinical trials taking place in the UK to test these treatments and the challenges that face setting up trials in a pandemic. Kathryn touched on these potential treatments and proceeded to discuss:

The Background of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Virology ' identifying COVID-19, previous Coronavirus outbreaks and relation to SAR-CoV2
- Signs and symptoms ' European Hospital Data and New York data
- Risk factors for severe disease ' disparities in the risk and outcomes (age, sex, geography, ethnicity etc.)
- Complement activation ' progression of COVID-19
Clinical Trials Exploring Potential Treatments
- Corticosteroids
- Anti-viral ' Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir/ritonavir, Azithromycin
- Immune modulation agents ' Anakinra, Tocilizumab, Ravulizumab, Canakinumab, Complement C5 Inhibitor
- Convalescent Plasma
- Recovery - randomisation
Challenges to setting up trials during COVID-19
- Speed of trial set up
- Availability of drug treatment
- Drug preparation at ward level
- Immune suppression