The Omaha-based arm of a new phase of an international drug trial testing medications for people hospitalized with COVID-19 is expected to begin this week, a University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher said.
The third phase of the trial, which launched in February, will pair the antiviral drug remdesivir with a type of interferon used to treat multiple sclerosis and some kinds of hepatitis, said Dr. Andre Kalil, a UNMC professor and infectious diseases physician with Nebraska Medicine.
In the first phase of the trial, remdesivir was shown to shorten, by an average of four days, the time it takes for patients to recover from the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, enrolled its first patient at the Nebraska Medical Center.
People are also reading…
Researchers then paired remdesivir with an anti-inflammatory drug, Kalil said. That portion of the trial closed a month ago, and researchers hope to have the results by the end of the month.
In the meantime, they’re adding interferon beta-1a, which is based on a naturally occurring version of the protein produced by white blood cells as part of the body’s immune system response.
Kalil said researchers chose the drug because studies indicate that people who progress to more severe COVID-19 disease have lower levels of the protein in their blood and in their lungs.
“The hypothesis we have is that because of this very tough fight between the virus and our immune system, we end up getting depleted of this very important molecule that has direct antiviral properties,” he said.
By replenishing the protein and adding remdesivir, which takes aim at the virus’s ability to replicate, they hope to create a synergistic effect, Kalil said.
Interferon, he said, has been used as a treatment for many years, so researchers have a good understanding of how it works and of its safety.
The researchers plan to enroll about 1,000 patients with pneumonia related to COVID-19 at nearly 100 hospitals around the world. All patients will get remdesivir, but half will get the new drug and half will get a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the participants will know who is getting which combination. The drug, according to the NIH, is marketed under the brand name Rebif by EMD Serono, a North American arm of German drugmaker Merck.
The researchers will evaluate whether the combination shortens patients’ recovery time — defined as being well enough to leave the hospital — compared with that for remdesivir alone.
“The goal is just to keep going and find as many treatments as we can,” Kalil said of the trial. “We want to make sure we can provide as (many) as possible while we’re looking for a vaccine.”
Videos: Life in Nebraska amid the pandemic
Nebraskans have shown a wealth of emotions while facing the coronavirus pandemic. We have unleashed a wave of creativity to adapt in the world of social distancing.
Watch a few bright moments our staff has collected while telling the story of this unprecedented period in history.
Mom surprises senior with graduation party that included a band and a food truck
A mariachi band performs for healthcare workers outside OneWorld Community Health Center in Omaha on Friday, May 8, 2020. The clinic has been …
The Nebraska National Guard helps with a food drive at the Food Bank for the Heartland.
Kyle and Jess McMindes experience a social distancing wedding on Saturday, April 25, 2020. About 75 cars full of family and friends surprised …
The American Muslim Institute, would usually host a dinner for hundreds in the Omaha Muslim community, but such large gatherings are impossibl…
Three friends gather for a little social distancing dance party in Omaha.
Restaurants and bars in Nebraska are finding new ways to reach their customers amid social distancing.
A group of Omaha area inventors are using their 3D printers to help make face shields for health care workers.
The Seder is a ritual dinner to mark the beginning of Passover, which began on April 8. The free kits and were available for delivery for anyo…
Nite Owl has been writing personal notes to customers and offering specials, like the Social Distance Daiquiri, while offering curbside take-o…
Teresa Elliott is surprised by her family on her final day of breast cancer radiation treatment outside her home in Omaha on Thursday, March 2…
Nebraska churches have been adapting to social distancing regulations by having online services from buildings void of parishioners.
The Nebraska Humane Society is holding a sale on adoption fees that will extend until further notice, as they try to get as many animals into …