A Dallas study is underway in hopes of finding new treatments for COVID-19. The ACTIV-2 Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies Trial is led by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).
It includes both Phase 2 and Phase 3 evaluations of multiple drugs, which health experts hope will help treat early COVID-19.
The ACTIV-2 study includes testing the drugs against a placebo to ensure they are effective and safe for use. Researchers will also study whether the drugs can decrease the transmission of the SARS-Cov-2 virus.
UT Southwestern is participating in the study. According to CBS 11, Mamta Jain, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern, explained that the study’s goal is to identify treatments that can help people who contact COVID-19 and stop them from getting sick to the extent of hospitalization.
“People living in North Texas who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are not hospitalized have the opportunity to make a huge contribution by participating in this study”, said Jain.
According to a CBS 11 report, ACTG Chair Judith Currier, M.D., M.Sc., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), lauded the role of treatments amid efforts to eradicate the pandemic.
Per the report, Currier further said that treatment remains crucial to “safe and effective therapeutics that prevent severe disease.”
Qualifying participants for the ACTIV-2 study must have tested positive for COVID-19 in the outpatient setting within ten days. They must have also started experiencing symptoms of the virus within eight days of enrolling.
More information can be found on the study website or here.