The COUNTER-COVID study: Oral imatinib to reverse pulmonary vascular leak and disease burden in COVID-19

Project description One in five patients with COVID-19 develops serious lung damage, necessitating hospitalization or even an Intensive Care Unit. This lung damage is caused, among other things, by leakage in the smallest blood vessels of the lung, whereby fluid escapes from the bloodstream and fills the alveoli. The fluid in the alveoli seriously impedes oxygen uptake and causes life-threatening oxygen deficiency. There are currently no medications to prevent leakage of small blood vessels. Research and expected outcomes Previous research in the laboratory has shown that the existing drug imatinib prevents blood vessel leakage. This protective effect of imatinib on the blood vessel wall can therefore potentially be used in patients with COVID-19. The COUNTER-COVID study tests whether patients treated with imatinib recover faster than patients who receive standard care.