CLEVELAND — *Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
As the state Ohio continues its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, health officials are still working to find cures and treatments for the disease.
A new clinical trial, hoping to treat COVID-19 patients, is seek participants in Cleveland to take part in a new study.
The study will examine the safety and efficacy of RedHill Biopharma’s RHB-107. RHB-107 is "novel, orally-administered serine protease inhibitor with antiviral and potential tissue-protective effects that target human cells rather than the virus itself," according to a press release.
Many previous COVID-19 treatment studies have focused on intravenous medications for hospitalized patients. However, the majority of patients are battling the virus at home. The ability to treat patients early in the course of the COVID-19 disease, with an oral therapy that shows promise against emerging viral variants and is designed to be used outside the hospital, has the potential to be a game-changer in managing this disease,” said Dr. Terry Plasse, Medical Director for RedHill Biopharma.
The study is seeking participants who have recently being diagnosed or patients who have not yet been diagnosed by show symptoms and were exposed.
During the study, home healthcare nurses will make in-home visits to check-in on patients, collect blood samples lab work, perform virus PCR swabs at home, and oversee elements of patient-reported data capture, using devices provided to participants at home.
A recent study evaluating RHB-107’s antiviral activity in an in vitro model of human lung bronchial tissue showed potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. Its combined antiviral and potential tissue-protective action make it a strong candidate for evaluation as a treatment for COVID-19 infections.
For more information on the trial and how you can get involved, click here.
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above originally aired on March 4, 2021.