The virus SARS-CoV-2 causes severe pneumonia which, in a proportion of patients progresses towards an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) mainly related to the antiviral immune response. To date, there is no available treatment that significantly improves outcome of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) ligands control vascular leakage in the airways and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor ligands devoid of activity on sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1P3) show an excellent safety profile, including ozanimod. Critically, S1P1 ligands mildly impact, but do not compromise viral clearance and they reduced lung injury in preclinical models, even without concomitant use of antivirals and with a synergistic effect when associated to antiviral agents. Ozanimod was approved by the FDA for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis at the end of March 2020, and was recently (October 2020) approved by Health Canada for the same indication. The investigators believe that this immune modulator is at the top of the list of agents that should be trialed in order to mitigate the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. The primary objective is to substantiate the impact of ozanimod on key outcomes of COVID-19 patient progression, which will guide decision making around sample size and the choice of endpoints for future clinical trial.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
43
The investigational medical product (IMP) for this study is ozanimod. Ozanimod 0.23 mg be administered once daily for 4 days and then ozanimod 0.46 mg will be administered once daily for ten days.
During hospitalization, patient will be given standard of care (Recommendations for standard of care management of COVID-19 will be provided for anticoagulation, fluid resuscitation, corticoids and other immunomodulators, antipyretics agents, antiviral agents and other treatments. These recommendations are subject to modifications based on the new literature data).
Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé (CISSS de Laval)
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Hôpital Santa Cabrini Ospedale (CIUSSS EMTL)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec - Université Laval
Québec, Canada
Daily Patient progression assessed with the World Health Organization-adapted 6-points ordinal scale
Clinical improvement until hospital discharge
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
The mean oxygen flow required to maintain the oxygen saturation (SpO2) target at 92%
Titrated every second with automated oxygen titration device (FreeO2)
Time frame: First 7 days of the trial
Rate of non invasive ventilation (NIV) / high flow nasal therapy (HFNT) use
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
Rate of intubation
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
Ventilator-free and oxygen-free days at day 28
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
Rate of ICU admission/length of stay/mortality
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
Severity index measurement
Sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA), national early warning score (NEWS2), early warning score for oxygen therapy (EWS.O2), decrease of at least 2 points on the 6-point ordinal scale
Time frame: through whole duration of the hospitalization, an average of 14 days
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