What works and what doesn't? Canada-wide trial examining COVID treatment efficacy with unique format

A new Canada-wide research study that will examine how effective COVID medications are in a unique format is now underway. CanTreatCOVID looks at both medications that are already in use and those that are in the pipeline. It’s seeking people over 50 who have tested positive for COVID within the last five days and adults under 49 years old with at least one chronic condition, such as COPD, Down syndrome, or diabetes. The study is now open to adults in Ontario, and will soon roll out in other provinces, recruiting people partially using EMR data. Its aims are two-fold: First, it hopes to pinpoint effective medications for COVID that will reduce hospital stays and lower emergency department visits. Second, it hopes to find drugs that will prevent long COVID. Dr. Andrew Pinto, a Public Health and Preventive Medicine Specialist and founder of the Upstream Lab is heading up the study, which will run out of the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, in Toronto. Read: What to tell patients and parents about COVID-19 boosters in early 2023 The study is unique because of its adaptive platform trial format. So far, most randomized trials on COVID have been on patients who weren’t vaccinated and hadn’t had COVID—which doesn’t represent the majority of Canadians anymore. In contrast, as an adaptive platform trial (APT), this will test Canadians who are vaccinated and have had COVID and those who haven’t. It will also compare multiple therapies simultaneously, including new medications as they emerge. “COVID-19 has proven to be a dynamic virus, and the global community has responded just as rapidly by developing various treatments,” said Dr. Pinto in a press release. “Our trial design allows us to study these new treatments as they arise and help policymakers, providers and patients make informed decisions.” The research is supported by $10 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It’s hoped the study will also provide researchers with experience running APTs, which could be used to study other respiratory diseases, such as the flu, in the future. “We don’t want to stop [at COVID],” Dr. Pinto said. “By developing cross-country infrastructure and relationships, we’ll be uniquely positioned to study treatments for other pathogens and diseases in the community well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.” Read: Answers to FAQs on COVID-19 subvariant XBB.1.5

What works and what doesn't? Canada-wide trial examining COVID treatment efficacy with unique format

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