COVID-19 clinical trials at UCSF

COVID-19 patients who develop severe disease often develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a result of a dysregulated immune response. This in turn stimulates a pro-inflammatory cascade ("cytokine storm") as well as emergency myelopoiesis. This proinflammatory cascade is activated when viral-mediated cell damage occurs in the lungs, resulting in the release of damage-signaling alarmin molecules such as S100A8/A9 (Calprotectin), HMGB1, Resistin, and oxidized phospholipids. These damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are recognized by the pattern recognition receptor Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) found on macrophages, dendritic cells and other innate immune cells and result in additional release of pro-inflammatory molecules. Several recent studies have shown that S100A8/A9 serum levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients positively correlate with both neutrophil count and disease severity. Taken together the DAMP-TLR4 interaction forms a central axis in the innate immune system and is a key driver of the pathological inflammation observed in COVID-19. We hypothesis that targeting the initial step in the signalling pathways of these DAMPs in innate immunity offers the best hope for controlling the exaggerated host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. EB05 has demonstrated safety in two clinical studies (>120 patients) and was able to block LPS-induced (TLR4 agonist) IL-6 release in humans. Given, this extensive body of evidence we believe EB05 could ameliorate ARDS due to COVID-19, significantly reducing ventilation rates and mortality.

The study consists of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and feasibility of a stepped alcohol treatment using telemedicine on unhealthy alcohol use in patients with chronic liver disease receiving care in hepatology practices at three sites. Patients who meet eligibility criteria will be randomized to one of two study arms: 1) Stepped Alcohol Treatment (SAT) or, 2) Usual Care (UC). Participants will be randomized separately by site. SAT includes 3 sessions of motivational interviewing followed by referral to addiction medicine for patients who do not reduce unhealthy drinking. Trial outcome measures will be complete at 6 and 12 months following baseline enrollment.

Persistent viral infection with viral reservoirs and detection of circulating spike protein after the initial acute illness is one potential pathogenic mechanism for Long COVID. This mechanism may be susceptible to antiviral therapy that blocks viral replication, which has the potential to alleviate long COVID symptoms. This trial will study the safety and efficacy of Ensitrelvir (S-217622), an antiviral, to treat individuals with Long COVID in an adult population.

The goal of this project is to rapidly screen promising agents, in the setting of an adaptive platform trial, for treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients. In this phase 2 platform design, agents will be identified with a signal suggesting a big impact on reducing mortality and the need for, as well as duration, of mechanical ventilation.

This is a single center, single arm exploratory imaging study involving up to two intravenous microdoses of [18F]F-AraG (the second tracer dose is optional) followed by whole-body PET-CT imaging in participants with convalescent COVID-19. Up to 80 participants will be enrolled over an accrual period of approximately 48 months.

The platform protocol is designed to be flexible so that it is suitable for a range of study settings and intervention types. Therefore, the platform protocol provides a general protocol structure that can be shared by multiple interventions and allows comparative analysis across the interventions. For example, objectives, measures, and endpoints are generalized in the platform protocol, but intervention-specific features are detailed in separate appendices. This platform protocol is a prospective, multi-center, multi-arm, randomized controlled platform trial evaluating potential interventions for PASC-mediated sleep disturbances. The hypothesis is that symptoms of sleep and circadian disorders that emerge in patients with PASC can be improved by phenotype-targeted interventions. Specific sleep and circadian disorders addressed in this protocol include sleep-related daytime impairment (referred to as hypersomnia) and complex PASC-related sleep disturbance (reflecting symptoms of insomnia and sleep-wake rhythm disturbance).

Treatments are needed to improve outcomes among patients hospitalized for COVID-19, including direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents to mitigate the pathology driven by ongoing viral replication. This trial will evaluate S-217622 (ensitrelvir), an anti-SARS-CoV2 3C-like protease inhibitor (PI) developed by Shionogi &; Co. Ltd. The study design is a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center international clinical trial that will evaluate the clinical efficacy of ensitrelvir when given in addition to standard of care (SOC) for inpatients with COVID-19. The SOC will be determined by local established guidelines and may include additional DAA (e.g., remdesivir) and immunomodulatory treatment strategies. Certain SOC treatments will be pre-specified prior to randomization.

COVID-19 can trigger a dysregulated immune response, and previous studies have shown that immune modulation can improve outcomes in hospitalized patients. This trial is designed to determine whether intensification of immune modulation early in the course of the disease (while patients are on low flow oxygen) with abatacept (active arm) combined with standard of care (SOC) improves recovery as compared with placebo + SOC (placebo arm). For both groups, intensification of immunomodulation will be provided as part of SOC in case of signs of disease progression (patient requires high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) or more support) and/or if the patient has rapidly increasing oxygen requirement.

LIINC is a study of volunteers who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 (also known as novel coronavirus or COVID-19) who have recovered from acute infection. The study is designed to provide a specimen bank of samples with carefully characterized clinical data. LIINC specimens will be used to examine multiple questions involving the virologic, immunologic, and host factors involved in COVID-19, with a focus on understanding variability in the long-term immune response between individuals.