An Overview of Current Clinical Trials of Agents for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in the United States

Authors

Kenneth Schot Hannan, University of LouisvilleFollow
William P. McKinney, University of LouisvilleFollow

Funder

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Abstract

Introduction: Given the rapid worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the attendant risks for severe complications and mortality, numerous clinical trials for its treatment and prevention have been generated in a short period. This report focuses on the categories of the wide spectrum of agents being studied in the United States and the intensity of effort involved with each so that clinicians may consider whether suggesting enrollment may be appropriate for their patients.

Methods: A search was completed of the ClinicalTrials.gov database on May 28, 2020, for all such trials underway as of that date in the US. A total 190 trials were identified; of these, 151 trials that included 83 distinct agents met the specified delimiting criteria. The salient features of each, including medication class, the total number of trials involving either treatment or ongoing prevention strategies, and the total patient enrollment, were captured in a summary table. Comprehensive descriptors of all 190 trials are made available in an appendix.

Results: The antimalarial agent hydroxychloroquine was the most frequently studied single agent by both number of trials and number of subjects involved. Antivirals were the next largest group, followed by immunomodulators, antibacterials, vaccines, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) antagonists, and convalescent plasma. Of note, repurposed antineoplastic agents, stem cell therapies, steroids, and a diverse range of miscellaneous agents were also included in the list.

Conclusions: The agents currently under study for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 include several highly publicized pharmaceuticals as well as a wide array of other experimental medications and novel applications of established drugs. In the absence of an approved vaccine at this time, it is essential that clinicians be aware of the range of trials from which important new therapeutic and prophylactic advances may rapidly emerge.

DOI

10.18297/jri/vol4/iss1/49

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Hannan, Kenneth Schot and McKinney, William P. (2020) "An Overview of Current Clinical Trials of Agents for the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 in the United States," The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections: Vol. 4 : Iss. 1 , Article 49.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18297/jri/vol4/iss1/49
Available at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jri/vol4/iss1/49