The Containing Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Trial

Summary

In recent months severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a novel human pathogen and, susceptibility amongst humans is presumed to be universal. Prevention measures of COVID-19 have included distancing, quarantines, use of facemasks in public places, and hand hygiene measures. Mandatory quarantines have also been applied on index cases and their contacts, as well as an active search for asymptomatic patients.

Current strategies to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 do not include measures that could prevent transmission prior to the onset of symptoms. Subjects infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been known to shed virus and be contagious for up to 5 days prior to developing symptoms ('pre-symptomatic transmission'). In fact, nearly 60% of all infected subjects can shed virus pre-symptomatically. Pre- or even asymptomatic shedding occurs across all age groups, contributing to the rapidly expanding pandemic.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) using type 1 interferon (IFN) can potentially eliminate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. IFN could reduce the period of viral shedding by \~1 week. Since pre-symptomatic shedding of virus can start up to 5 days prior to symptom onset, our approach of a PEP intervention to all contacts recently exposed to a case could possibly entirely interrupt the spread of the virus, and with that, the pandemic. The current study focuses on prevention of the disease in addition to its treatment. Thus, the key distinction between these other trials and this study is that this study focuses on containing coronavirus (i.e. cause) in the community, rather than simply its treatment (i.e. consequence) in the individual.

Viral spread could be eliminated through interventions effective at abolishing viral transmission. However, such post-exposure prophylaxis interventions, that is initiation of antiviral therapy in pre-infectious contacts to reduce or even eliminate such spread, must be safe since they are given to asymptomatic and possibly uninfected subjects. In none of the previous clinical trials of IFN therapy for SARS-CoV-2 have serious adverse events been recorded. Furthermore, the IFN chosen for this study (pegylated IFN 1b) has been extensively studied in clinical trials, and has been in clinical use for years for multiple sclerosis. Pegylated IFN formulations allow for weekly injections while maintaining serum levels and limiting dose-dependent side effects. Together these data support a sound safety profile for the planned intervention.

The aim of this study is to ascertain whether IFN administered to index cases and household contacts of an index case, starting immediately following confirmed exposure (index case confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2), will reduce duration of SARS-CoV-2 detectable by PCR in the index cases, and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 detectable by PCR in household contacts.

Conditions

• SARS-CoV Infection
• Interferon
• Covid19

Interventions

BIOLOGICAL

Peginterferon beta-1a

Administration of trial drug: PLEGRIDY is given by an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection). It will be administered to participants in accordance with product insert instructions by appropriately trained trial staff for whom administration of subcutaneous injections is within their normal scope of practice (e.g. RN or MD). They will wait for 20 mins after the last individual receives the interferon before leaving a residence. Administering staff will be supplied with appropriate PPE, trained in the use of this equipment and protocols for infection control, and will always attend in pairs. PLEGRIDY will be administered in the home of the participants. Due to the heat-labile nature of the trial product (storage required at \~4oC) a verified English Spanish version of the product label will be printed by a GMP certified company and applied to the product and patient band just at the time of use.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Telethon Kids Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jose A Castro-Rodriguez, MD,PhD · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

• Stephen Stick, MD,PhD · Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

• Arturo Borzutzky, MD · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

• Carolina Iturriaga, NP · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

• Tobias Kollmann, MD,PhD · Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

• Eleanor N Fish, PhD · Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Canada

• Cecilia Perret, MD · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

• Diego Garcia-Huidobro, MD,PhD · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

79 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-12-01

Primary Completion

2021-05-31

Completion

2021-06-30

Countries

• Chile

Study Locations