Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has announced the recruitment of patients in three clinical studies, which are designed to eliminate the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

Feinstein Institutes researchers have collaborated with Gilead Sciences, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi to detect efficient treatments for patients currently hospitalised in moderate and severe conditions with COVID-19.

The three Feinstein Institutes trials, which are not currently available to the general public, are provided to patients already admitted to Northwell Health hospitals with moderate to severe COVID-19.

Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling said: "We’ve joined with three outstanding companies to immediately begin clinical trials for patients now suffering from COVID-19 and are determined to do all we can to stop the virus in its tracks."

The Feinstein Institutes, along with Gilead, will carry out two trials to find out the safety and efficacy of remdesivir (RDV), an investigational antiviral drug that will help minimise the intensity and duration of COVID-19 in hospitalised patients.

The RDV has shown positive effects on other viral pathogens such as MERS and SARS in vitro and in animal models.

The trial with Gilead will evaluate around 400 severe cases of COVID-19. It is a randomised study of two different durations of treatment with RDV, delivered intravenously.

The other RDV trial in partnership with Gilead is also a phase 3 study, which will evaluate two different durations of treatment with RDV compared to the current standard of care in up to 600 patients with moderate COVID-19 across the globe.

Northwell Health’s research arm will work with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi to carry out an adaptive randomised trial for around 400 severe or critical patients being hospitalized for the virus in multiple sites across the US.

The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of sarilumab, a human antibody that is believed to prevent the activity of an interleukin-6 (IL-6) that may create complications of severe pneumonia in some COVID-19 patients.

The performance of IL-6 is supported by preliminary data from a Chinese study, which demonstrated rapid reductions in fever in all patients. Recently,

The Feinstein Institutes’ trial in the US will assess the effect of IL-6 inhibition prospectively in COVID-19 patients.

The Feinstein Institutes president and CEO Dr Kevin Tracey said: "As history has shown from past pandemics, medical research will lead in our nation’s ability to reverse the fatal spread of viruses."

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