Targeting de novo Pyrimidine Biosynthesis by leflunomide as a Novel Concept for the Treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (DEFEAT-COVID study)

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Funder

    LifeArc
  • Principal Investigator

    Unspecified Unspecified Unspecified
  • Research Location

    United Kingdom
  • Lead Research Institution

    Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Guangdong Uni-Innovation Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Therapeutics research, development and implementation

  • Research Subcategory

    Prophylactic use of treatments

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    Unspecified

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Unspecified

  • Vulnerable Population

    Unspecified

  • Occupations of Interest

    Unspecified

Abstract

A group of London hospital trusts in collaboration with researchers in China, and with funding from LifeArc, is set to commence clinical trial testing of leflunomide - a drug licensed to treat rheumatoid arthritis - in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Leflunomide has previously been investigated in a small pilot study conducted in Wuhan, China. Patients with moderate or severe clinical symptoms of COVID-19 who were treated with leflunomide demonstrated favourable clinical outcomes with a shorter clinical recovery time compared to the placebo arm, and no side effects were observed. This LifeArc funded study now aims to explore these initial findings in a larger patient cohort.