A new global clinical trial is launching to test if a common anti-inflammatory drug colchicine can prevent serious complications caused by the novel coronavirus.
The study, which will recruit 6,000 participants from the US, Canada and Europe, will examine colchicine.
Colchicine is most often used to treat gout, a complex form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, most often in the big toe.
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Researchers will use a ‘contactless’ approach by shipping the drug directly to patients’ homes within 48 hours of being diagnosed.
Through follow-up visits, the scientists will determine if use of the drug can reduce hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
The study, known as the Colchicine Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COLCORONA) Trial, is being led by the Montreal Heart Institute.
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New York University School of Medicine and the University of San Francisco (USCF) will provide hosting sites.
Additional sites will be in Canada and Europe, but they have not been announced yet.
The study will be a ‘randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial,’ which means participants will either randomly receive colchicine or a placebo. Neither they nor the doctors will know which pill they receive.
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Participants who are above age 40 and have at least one additional risk factor for serious complications, such as heart disease, can apply via phone.
The regimen will require taking a pill twice daily for three days and then once daily for the remaining 27 days.
After patients sign consent forms online, they will receive medication through the mail. They will follow-up with the researchers after 15 days and again after 30 days.
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