LifeArc: NGO against COVID-19 Grant Funding
Entity: LifeArc
Category: Non-Governmental
Programme Title: '£10M for the identification of therapeutics that can be rapidly deployed to treat COVID-19'
Link: https://www.lifearc.org/funding/covid-19/covid-19-funding/
Contact:
Summary:
LifeArc drive medical innovation through their own research and work with a range of partners from industry, charities, universities, research organisations and others involved in improving lives for patients. They have a 25-year legacy of collaborating with scientists on diagnostics and therapies, enhancing and protecting innovation and advancing promising research. They focus on translation – progressing work from early lab-based findings through to development and a point where it can be used in patients. And by working in this way, they play a key role in developing new treatments, medicines, diagnostics, technologies or information resources, and in helping to turn research into practical products that benefit patients.
On 20 March 2020, LifeArc launched a £10 million fund to support research and testing of therapeutics that could be rapidly deployed to help address COVID-19. They assessed applications from academics and companies worldwide with promising approaches to re-purposing medicines, and they used criteria that included the scientific rationale of the approach and its ability to start trials within 6-12 months to shortlist applications. An independent, expert Scientific Review Panel assessed the shortlisted applicants and those with the highest chance of delivering an improvement to COVID-19 patients were selected for funding.
- Almitrine: University of Oxford to test effectiveness of respiratory drug in improving COVID-19 outcomes, with potential to reduce the need for specialist ventilation
Research organisation: University of Oxford
Research title: Almitrine as a treatment for hypoxaemia in severe COVID-19 disease
- ATTRACT
Trial of 100 COVID-19 patients to test the impact of pulmonary fibrosis drug on COVID-19 progression
Research organisations: University College London and Vicore Pharma
Research title: A randomized phase 2 placebo-controlled clinical study named ATTRACT (Angiotensin II Type Two Receptor Agonist Covid-19 Trial) to test the impact of an AT2R agonist (VP01) on progression of COVID-19 disease
- DEFEAT-COVID study
London hospitals partner with Chinese researchers to study use of rheumatoid arthritis drug in improving COVID-19 outcomes in trial of 178 patients
Research organisations: Ashford and St Peters Hospital NHS Trust, Guangdong Uni-Innovation Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.,
Research title: Targeting de novo Pyrimidine Biosynthesis by leflunomide as a Novel Concept for the Treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (DEFEAT-COVID study)
- FLARE Trial
Clinical trial to investigate the early intervention of mild COVID-19 in healthcare workers with broad-spectrum antivirals
Research organisation: University College London
Research title: Favipiravir, lopinavir/ritonavir or combination therapy: a randomised, double blind, 2×2 factorial placebo-controlled trial of early antiviral therapy in COVID-19 (the FLARE trial)
- PIONEER Trial
Research organisations: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Brompton Hospital, Imperial College
Summary: Trial comparing two potential antiviral treatments for early intervention in hospitalised patients with COVID-19
- RAVEN
King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ researchers to study the use of blood cancer drug in reducing complications caused by SARS-CoV-2
Research organisations: King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’
Research title: Ruxolitinib therapy to Avoid Ventilation and improve outcome for deteriorating COVID-19 patiENts (RAVEN)
- SPIKE-1 Trial
The University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK to conduct a trial to test use of potential virus-blocking treatment in improving COVID-19 outcomes
Research organisations: The University of Edinburgh, Cancer Research UK (Trial sponsor), Latus Therapeutics Ltd
Research title: SPIKE-1 Trial; A Randomised Phase II/III trial in a community setting, assessing use of camostat in reducing the clinical progression of COVID-19 by blocking SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-initiated membrane fusion.
- The COVASE study
University College London and The Francis Crick Institute collaborate to test cystic fibrosis drug in hospitalised COVID-19 patients
Research organisations: University College London and The Francis Crick Institute
Research title: Investigation of an approved nebulised human Dornase enzyme (Pulmozyme) to reduce hyperinflammation in hospitalised people with COVID-19 (The COVASE study)
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