Covid-19 Clinical Trial Accelerating Enrollment in Annapolis: Anne Arundel Research Institute and Johns Hopkins University are halfway to full enrollment for two Covid-19 treatment and prevention studies and seek paid volunteers to help find another new treatment faster.
You may be eligible to participate if you:
- Were tested for Covid-19 no more than 5 days ago and were positively diagnosed, still have symptoms, but haven’t been hospitalized
- Were in close contact with someone who has Covid-19 no more than 3 days ago, but don’t have any symptoms
This clinical trial will determine whether giving people antibodies via a blood transfusion is effective at treating early-stage coronavirus and in preventing those exposed to it from catching the disease.
Who: Individuals over age 18 who meet the criteria above. Additional screening details are available at covidplasmatrial.org.
Where: Trials are being conducted on-site at Anne Arundel Research Institute, 2001 Medical Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401
Will participants be compensated? Yes. More details are available via the website or phone number below. Healthcare will be provided.
When: Enrolling now. If you think you’ve been exposed, or are newly diagnosed and have symptoms, contact Johns Hopkins at 888-506-1199 or www.covidplasmatrial.org – if too many days pass, you may not qualify to participate.
Do I qualify?: Call 888-506-1199, or visit www.covidplasmatrial.org to take the enrollment questionnaire.
Why does this trial matter? This is the first U.S. multi-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of convalescent blood plasma as an outpatient therapy. Antibodies are one of the best options being tested for treatment and prevention. If this option is deemed effective, it would be one of the lower-cost options for treating and/or preventing coronavirus illness worldwide, compared to vaccines, which might be too costly for some populations and countries.
Why do we need this research if vaccines are on the way?
- Plasma doesn’t need cold storage. If it’s proven effective, it could be a solution in rural areas with smaller hospitals and clinics, worldwide.
- Unlike vaccines, treatment with plasma doesn’t need production ramp-up time. The collection and distribution network for plasma are already regulated and stable.
- The body adapts faster than a lab can. Plasma might be the solution we need to new variants.
- Since this treatment carries no intellectual property, it can be provided at a lower cost than a proprietary drug or vaccine.
- Intriguingly, proving plasma is effective in an outpatient setting could open up its outpatient use for other diseases, too.
