Clinical Trial to Evaluate Efficacy of 3 Types of Treatment in Patients With Pneumonia by COVID-19

Overview

In absence of vaccine and medications specifically designed to treat SARS-CoV-2 disease, identifying treatment options is critical at this time to control the disease outbreak. For this, we have designed a phase II trial of efficacy and safety with 3 branches of different combinations of treatment to identify which is the best early treatment option for patients with pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) Identifying treatment options as early as possible is critical to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak response. Currently, there is no approved vaccine for the disease and the treatments being used are not specifically designed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but are different groups of drugs used for other pathologies with mechanisms of action that justify their use because they inhibit entry of the virus into virus cells or proteases. The study aims to compare Imatinib 400mg, Baricitinib 4mg or supportive treatment, administered for 7 days in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia treatment. Patients who meet inclusion criteria and do not have any exclusion criteria will be randomized to receive open treatment 1:1:1

Identifying treatment options is critical to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak response. Currently there is no vaccine and treatments used are not specifically designed for this virus; They are drugs used for other pathologies. We have identified possible drugs with a known safety profile, selected the most promising ones and designed 3 combinations to select the one with the best results in clinical improvement of pneumonia due to Covid-19. -Virus entry inhibitors: broad spectrum antivirals (antimalarials). They block viral infection by increasing endosomal pH necessary for virus / cell fusion, as well as interfering with glycosylation of cellular SARS-CoV receptors. It also has immunomodulatory activity, which can enhance antiviral effect. Latest evidence from the UK RECOVERY and WHO SOLIDARITY trials suggest that antimalarials do not provide clinical benefit in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Baricitinib, Janus kinase inhibitor, showing high affinity for AAK1. Disruption of AAK1 (one of the known regulators of viral endocytosis) could block passage of SARS-CoV-2 to cells and also the intracellular assembly of virus particles. Furthermore, it has the capacity to bind cyclin G-associated kinase, another regulator of endocytosis. You can limit systemic inflammatory response and cytokine production by inhibiting the JAK-STAT32 pathway. Imatinib; Antitumor agent inhibitory activity of some tirsin kinases (TK), especially fusion oncoprotein BCR-ABL1, c-kit and native kinase ABL1. It has shown antiviral properties in early stages of infection against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV2. In addition, it has been linked to reduced inflammation and improved endothelial barrier and pulmonary edema. -Protease inhibitors: lopinavir / ritonavir (HIV treatment); expected interactions with SARS-CoV-2 proteases; The therapeutic effect of ritonavir and lopinavir could be mainly due to its inhibitory effect on coronavirus endopeptidase C30. The RECOVERY clinical trial investigators have also reviewed the data concluding that LPV / r does not provide clinical benefit in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.