Researchers at the University of Oxford are starting a new study to explore the effectiveness of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug adalimumab (or Humira as it’s more frequently called in the IBD community) as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 in the community, especially care homes.
The trial, which will be conducted by the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU), will enroll up to 750 patients from community care settings throughout the UK.
It is funded by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, an initiative set up by Wellcome, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Mastercard, with support from an array of public and philanthropic donors.
Residents of care homes were particularly hard hit by the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK and other countries. Research has identified limited treatments that are effective for patients in hospitals with COVID-19, but no effective treatments have yet been identified for those in the community care settings, many of whom may have severe symptoms.
Anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs like Humira have been in widespread use for over 20 years for a range of inflammatory conditions including IBD.
Interestingly, recent studies of patients with COVID-19 have shown that patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to the hospital (source) compared to other anti-inflammatory drugs. Which is pretty much the opposite of what lots of IBD patients were told when they were classed originally as high risk.
The availability of biosimilar versions of biological treatments has been an important step forward in driving down costs, making the anti-TNF treatment affordable and accessible if the trial is successful.
“The observed potential of anti-TNF drugs has prompted us to conduct a study in patients in community care to see whether treatment with the anti-TNF drug adalimumab reduces the progression to severe or critical disease or death in COVID-19 patients,” said Prof Duncan Richards, Professor of Clinical Therapeutics, University of Oxford.
“We think anti-TNF drugs could be an important treatment for COVID-19 and are very grateful for the support of the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, which will allow us to find out. I would also like to thank Sandoz Ltd for provision of adalimumab. We are also looking forward to working with Sensyne Health to collect additional information on patients’ clinical status through their app. Subject to the necessary approvals we hope to start recruiting patients in late October.”
Can COVID-19 spread through food?
Anti TNF drugs and a couple of others have shown some initial promise but in the absence of extensive research they all remain just few good possibilities.