Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform

Introduction COVID-19 is a new viral-induced pneumonia caused by infection with a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. At present, there are few proven effective treatments. This early-phase experimental medicine protocol describes an overarching and adaptive trial designed to provide safety data in patie...

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Main Authors: Ahsan Akram, Tom Quinn, Jean Antonelli, Oliver Koch, Kevin Dhaliwal, Nik Hirani, Erin Gaughan, Annya Bruce, Vikki Young, Joanne Mair, Claire Mackintosh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054442.full
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author Ahsan Akram
Tom Quinn
Jean Antonelli
Oliver Koch
Kevin Dhaliwal
Nik Hirani
Erin Gaughan
Annya Bruce
Vikki Young
Joanne Mair
Claire Mackintosh
author_facet Ahsan Akram
Tom Quinn
Jean Antonelli
Oliver Koch
Kevin Dhaliwal
Nik Hirani
Erin Gaughan
Annya Bruce
Vikki Young
Joanne Mair
Claire Mackintosh
author_sort Ahsan Akram
collection DOAJ
description Introduction COVID-19 is a new viral-induced pneumonia caused by infection with a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. At present, there are few proven effective treatments. This early-phase experimental medicine protocol describes an overarching and adaptive trial designed to provide safety data in patients with COVID-19, pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) information and exploratory biological surrogates of efficacy, which may support further development and deployment of candidate therapies in larger scale trials of patients positive for COVID-19.Methods and analysis Define is an ongoing exploratory multicentre-platform, open-label, randomised study. Patients positive for COVID-19 will be recruited from the following cohorts: (a) community cases; (b) hospitalised patients with evidence of COVID-19 pneumonitis; and (c) hospitalised patients requiring assisted ventilation. The cohort recruited from will be dependent on the experimental therapy, its route of administration and mechanism of action. Randomisation will be computer generated in a 1:1:n ratio. Twenty patients will be recruited per arm for the initial two arms. This is permitted to change as per the experimental therapy. The primary statistical analyses are concerned with the safety of candidate agents as add-on therapy to standard of care in patients with COVID-19. Secondary analysis will assess the following variables during treatment period: (1) the response of key exploratory biomarkers; (2) change in WHO ordinal scale and National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) score; (3) oxygen requirements; (4) viral load; (5) duration of hospital stay; (6) PK/PD; and (7) changes in key coagulation pathways.Ethics and dissemination The Define trial platform and its initial two treatment and standard of care arms have received a favourable ethical opinion from Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (REC) (20/SS/0066), notice of acceptance from The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (EudraCT 2020-002230-32) and approval from the relevant National Health Service (NHS) Research and Development (R&D) departments (NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde). Appropriate processes are in place in order to be able to consent adults with and without capacity while following the necessary COVID-19 safe procedures. Patients without capacity could be recruited via a legal representative. Witnessed electronic consent of participants or their legal representatives following consent discussions was established. The results of each study arm will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal as soon as the treatment arm has finished recruitment, data input is complete and any outstanding patient safety follow-ups have been completed. Depending on the results of these or future arms, data will be shared with larger clinical trial networks, including the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy trial (RECOVERY), and to other partners for rapid roll-out in larger patient cohorts.Trial registration number ISRCTN14212905, NCT04473053.
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spelling doaj-art-fcaa15c0b47844978d57505831ea162a2024-12-10T15:30:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-054442Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platformAhsan Akram0Tom Quinn1Jean Antonelli2Oliver Koch3Kevin Dhaliwal4Nik Hirani5Erin Gaughan6Annya Bruce7Vikki Young8Joanne Mair9Claire Mackintosh10Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UKFaculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University, London, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKRegional Infectious Diseases Unit, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UKRoyal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKCentre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKRegional Infectious Diseases Unit, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UKIntroduction COVID-19 is a new viral-induced pneumonia caused by infection with a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. At present, there are few proven effective treatments. This early-phase experimental medicine protocol describes an overarching and adaptive trial designed to provide safety data in patients with COVID-19, pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) information and exploratory biological surrogates of efficacy, which may support further development and deployment of candidate therapies in larger scale trials of patients positive for COVID-19.Methods and analysis Define is an ongoing exploratory multicentre-platform, open-label, randomised study. Patients positive for COVID-19 will be recruited from the following cohorts: (a) community cases; (b) hospitalised patients with evidence of COVID-19 pneumonitis; and (c) hospitalised patients requiring assisted ventilation. The cohort recruited from will be dependent on the experimental therapy, its route of administration and mechanism of action. Randomisation will be computer generated in a 1:1:n ratio. Twenty patients will be recruited per arm for the initial two arms. This is permitted to change as per the experimental therapy. The primary statistical analyses are concerned with the safety of candidate agents as add-on therapy to standard of care in patients with COVID-19. Secondary analysis will assess the following variables during treatment period: (1) the response of key exploratory biomarkers; (2) change in WHO ordinal scale and National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) score; (3) oxygen requirements; (4) viral load; (5) duration of hospital stay; (6) PK/PD; and (7) changes in key coagulation pathways.Ethics and dissemination The Define trial platform and its initial two treatment and standard of care arms have received a favourable ethical opinion from Scotland A Research Ethics Committee (REC) (20/SS/0066), notice of acceptance from The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) (EudraCT 2020-002230-32) and approval from the relevant National Health Service (NHS) Research and Development (R&D) departments (NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde). Appropriate processes are in place in order to be able to consent adults with and without capacity while following the necessary COVID-19 safe procedures. Patients without capacity could be recruited via a legal representative. Witnessed electronic consent of participants or their legal representatives following consent discussions was established. The results of each study arm will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal as soon as the treatment arm has finished recruitment, data input is complete and any outstanding patient safety follow-ups have been completed. Depending on the results of these or future arms, data will be shared with larger clinical trial networks, including the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy trial (RECOVERY), and to other partners for rapid roll-out in larger patient cohorts.Trial registration number ISRCTN14212905, NCT04473053.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054442.full
spellingShingle Ahsan Akram
Tom Quinn
Jean Antonelli
Oliver Koch
Kevin Dhaliwal
Nik Hirani
Erin Gaughan
Annya Bruce
Vikki Young
Joanne Mair
Claire Mackintosh
Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
BMJ Open
title Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
title_full Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
title_fullStr Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
title_short Evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for COVID-19: protocol for the phase Ib/IIa DEFINE trial platform
title_sort evaluation of new or repurposed treatments for covid 19 protocol for the phase ib iia define trial platform
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054442.full
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