‘This could be a real game-changer,’ says McMaster University researcher testing COVID treatments
Three cheap and widely available drugs are being tested to treat COVID by McMaster University researchers.
This could be a real game-changer," said Edward Mills, principal investigator of the Together COVID-19 trial. The need for treatments in early disease is paramount. Evidence is quickly emerging that suggests a number of drugs may have a promising effect on reducing COVID-19 disease severity in patients with mild to moderate disease."
Results could be known in as little as two to six months in the international trial testing ivermectin, metformin and fluvoxamine.
Our study has been designed to rapidly recruit patients to evaluate these potential therapeutics," said Mills, who is also a professor of health research methods, evidence, and impact at McMaster.
The drugs have shown mixed results in previous studies but haven't been tested in a large clinical trial, he said.
Ivermectin is typically used to treat parasitic infections and costs less than $5 per treatment.
Metformin is prescribed for diabetes, while fluvoxamine is a common drug for depression and anxiety disorders.
Many countries simply do not have the health-care resources to continue the current rate of patients being admitted to hospital with COVID-19," said Mills. The Together trial hopes to help identify therapies, of repurposed drugs known for decades to be safe, to slow the pandemic while many countries await the delivery of vaccines."
It's significant because it could be years before vaccines are universally available for low- and middle-income countries.
For this reason, the ... trial was created to evaluate the effectiveness of cheap, widely available drugs," said Mills. As the pandemic continues with no end in sight for many low- and middle-income countries, there is a growing urgency for effective therapies."
Up to 3,200 participants will take part in the study that partners with research clinic Cardresearch, the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
It's funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Fastgrants, a collaboration of technology philanthropists.
Co-investigators include McMaster professors Lehana Thabane and Gordon Guyatt.
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com