Tayside staff and patients contribute to development of COVID-19 treatments
TUESDAY, 23 JUNE, 2020
For immediate release. Photo attached of the clinical research nursing team
Tayside staff and patients contribute to development of COVID-19 treatments
NHS Tayside clinicians, researchers and patients have contributed to the breakthrough discovery of one of the first effective treatments for COVID-19 as clinical trials continue in the region.
Tayside has recruited 45 patients so far to the national RECOVERY clinical trial led by the University of Oxford for hospitalised COVID-19 patients. The study announced last week that the steroid dexamethasone has been identified as the first drug to improve survival rates in certain COVID-19 patients receiving oxygenation or ventilation.
Professor James Chalmers, Respiratory Consultant at Ninewells Hospital said, “We had a number of patients receive dexamethasone and we are delighted with results of the trial, which is a real breakthrough for people with COVID-19.”
In addition, in the last two weeks, Ninewells has been one of the top 10 recruiting sites, out of a total of 205 sites to the Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care (GenOMICC) study, led by the University of Edinburgh.
Susceptibility to COVID-19 is likely to be, in part, genetic. GenOMICC is looking to find the genes that cause susceptibility, which may help us to prioritise treatments to respond to the global crisis. There are 10 patients so far involved in this trial.
Tayside has also now recruited its first patient to STOP-COVID-19 (Superiority Trial Of Protease inhibition in COVID-19). This trial is the first Scottish-led ‘multi-centre’ placebo-controlled randomised drug trial evaluating Brensocatib, an oral medication that has shown to reduce lung damage by inhibiting enzymes that destroy lung tissue.
Professor Chalmers added, “The ongoing work in clinical trials is a team effort from our COVID-19 team and our research nurses who have been exceptional. I would like to thank everyone for their efforts at this time and, importantly, a big thank you to our patients for taking part in these trials.”
UK-wide trials are currently being delivered through Tayside Medical Science Centre (TASC) and the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) at Ninewells Hospital, with nearly 300 patients involved from across Tayside.
Notes to editors:
For further information on the trials:
https://www.recoverytrial.net/
https://isaric.tghn.org/covid-19-clinical-research-resources/
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/covid-19/
Contact:
NHS Tayside Communications
(01382) 424138
