Hundreds of clinical trials in the U.S. and abroad are looking for potential drugs to treat or prevent COVID-19.
As of July 6, ClinicalTrials.gov lists 24 active clinical trials for COVID-19 drugs in the U.S. and 98 abroad. Thousands more trials are recruiting patients.
Here are eight updates on COVID-19 drugs in development from the last week:
Editor's note: This is not a comprehensive list. Updates are listed in order from most recent to least.
- Regeneron is entering late-stage testing for its COVID-19 antibody cocktail. A phase 3 trial of the drug, called REGN-COV2, will analyze the drug's efficacy in preventing infection among people with close exposure to someone infected with COVID-19. The trial is expected to enroll 2,000 patients at 100 sites across the U.S.
- Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison are testing Novartis' drug, ruxolitinib, sold as Jakavi, to see whether it can prevent an immune overreaction in COVID-19 patients, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. Jakavi is used to prevent an immune system overreaction in patients receiving bone marrow transplants. More than two dozen sites are testing ruxolitinib for COVID-19 patients, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
- The National Institutes of Health is testing remdesivir in combination with a rheumatoid arthritis drug, baricitinib, NBC News reported. Initial results from the study are expected within July. Gilead said it will test remdesivir in combination with Actemra, another rheumatoid arthritis drug. The drugmaker is also developing an inhaled version of remdesivir, which could make it easier to give to patients who aren't in the hospital.
- The WHO halted trials of HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir as a combined treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Trial results showed the drugs produce "little or no reduction in the mortality," the organization said. Thousands of patients were enrolled in the trials. The WHO's decision to halt the trials only applies to trials on hospitalized COVID-19 patients and does not preclude studies of the drugs on nonhospitalized patients or as preventive treatments.
- Patients who received a small dose of hydroxychloroquine within the first two days of their hospital stay were more likely to survive, a study from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit found. The drug's efficacy remains controversial. The FDA rescinded its emergency use authorization of the drug June 15 after studies of the drug given in higher doses suggested its inefficacy. The National Institutes of Health and Novartis have both halted their hydroxychloroquine trials.
- Regeneron and Sanofi said their drug, Kevzara, failed to help COVID-19 patients in a clinical trial, The Wall Street Journal reported. Kevzara is an arthritis drug that researchers thought may be able to stop patients' immune systems from overreacting to the virus. But Kevzara showed to be no better than a placebo in helping critically ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients. A separate study led by Sanofi outside the U.S. will continue to study the effect of the drug with a different dosing regimen, the Journal reported.
- Researchers at Stanford University in California are planning to test favipiravir, an antiviral, in pill form to see if it can prevent patients from becoming more sick, KTVU, a California Fox station, reported. Favipiravir is made by Japan-based Fuji Pharma and sold under the names Avigan, Abigan and FabiFlu. The pill will be given to clinical trial patients at the onset of mild COVID-19 symptoms, and researchers hope it will reduce the amount of virus they have in their respiratory tract, KTVU reported.
- Gilead set its price for remdesivir at $2,340 for a five-day course for the U.S. and other developed countries. Commercial insurers will pay 33 percent or more of the cost. The cost breaks down to $390 per vial for government insurers and $520 per vial for private insurers. Gilead also said HHS will continue to manage the allocation of remdesivir to U.S. hospitals through September.