scholarly journals A placebo-controlled double blind trial of hydroxychloroquine in mild-to-moderate COVID-19

Author(s):  
Vincent Dubée ◽  
Pierre-Marie Roy ◽  
Bruno Vielle ◽  
Elsa Parot-Schinkel ◽  
Odile Blanchet ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThe efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains controversial.MethodsWe conducted a multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial evaluating hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients with at least one of the following risk factors for worsening: age ≥75 years, age between 60 and 74 years, and presence of at least one comorbidity, or need for supplemental oxygen (≤3 L/min). Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 800mg hydroxychloroquine on Day 0 followed by 400mg per day for 8 days or a placebo. The primary endpoint was a composite of death or tracheal intubation within 14 days following randomization. Secondary endpoints included mortality and clinical evolution at Day 14 and 28, viral shedding at Day 5 and 10.ResultsThe trial was stopped after 250 patients were included due to a slowdown of the pandemic in France. The intention-to-treat population comprised 123 and 124 patients in the placebo and hydroxychloroquine groups, respectively. The median age was 77 years and 151 patients required oxygen therapy. The primary endpoint occurred in nine patients in the hydroxychloroquine group and eight patients in the placebo group (relative risk 1.12; 95% confidence interval 0.45– 2.80; P=0.82). No difference was observed between the two groups in any of the secondary endpoints.ConclusionIn this trial involving mainly older patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, patients treated with hydroxychloroquine did not experience better clinical or virological outcomes than those receiving the placebo.

Thorax ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Currow ◽  
Sandra Louw ◽  
Philip McCloud ◽  
Belinda Fazekas ◽  
John Plummer ◽  
...  

IntroductionMorphine may decrease the intensity of chronic breathlessness but data from a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) are lacking. This first, large, parallel-group trial aimed to test the efficacy and safety of regular, low-dose, sustained-release (SR) morphine compared with placebo for chronic breathlessness.MethodsMultisite (14 inpatient and outpatient cardiorespiratory and palliative care services in Australia), parallel-arm, double-blind RCT. Adults with chronic breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council≥2) were randomised to 20 mg daily oral SR morphine and laxative (intervention) or placebo and placebo laxative (control) for 7 days. Both groups could take ≤6 doses of 2.5 mg, ‘as needed’, immediate-release morphine (≤15 mg/24 hours) as required by the ethics review board. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in intensity of breathlessness now (0–100 mm visual analogue scale; two times per day diary) between groups. Secondary endpoints included: worst, best and average breathlessness; unpleasantness of breathlessness now, fatigue; quality of life; function; and harms.ResultsAnalysed by intention-to-treat, 284 participants were randomised to morphine (n=145) or placebo (n=139). There was no difference between arms for the primary endpoint (mean difference −0.15 mm (95% CI −4.59 to 4.29; p=0.95)), nor secondary endpoints. The placebo group used more doses of oral morphine solution during the treatment period (mean 8.7 vs 5.8 doses; p=0.001). The morphine group had more constipation and nausea/vomiting. There were no cases of respiratory depression nor obtundation.ConclusionNo differences were observed between arms for breathlessness, but the intervention arm used less rescue immediate-release morphine.Trial registration numberACTRN12609000806268.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Vieira-Sousa ◽  
Pedro Alves ◽  
Ana M Rodrigues ◽  
Filipa Teixeira ◽  
Jose Tavares-Costa ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo assess the efficacy of golimumab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) versus MTX monotherapy in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) dactylitis.MethodsMulticentre, investigator-initiated, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design phase 3b trial in 11 Portuguese rheumatology centres. Patients with PsA along with active dactylitis and naive to MTX and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) were randomly assigned to golimumab or placebo, both in combination with MTX. The primary endpoint was Dactylitis Severity Score (DSS) change from baseline to week 24. Key secondary endpoints included DSS and Leeds Dactylitis Index (LDI) response, and changes from baseline in the LDI and MRI dactylitis score. Analysis was by intention-to-treat for the primary endpoint.ResultsTwenty-one patients received golimumab plus MTX and 23 MTX monotherapy for 24 weeks. One patient from each arm discontinued. Patient inclusion was halted at 50% planned recruitment due to a favourable interim analysis. Median baseline DSS was 6 in both arms. By week 24, patients treated with golimumab plus MTX exhibited significantly greater improvements in DSS relative to MTX monotherapy (median change of 5 vs 2 points, respectively; p=0.026). In the golimumab plus MTX arm, significantly higher proportions of patients achieved at least 50% or 70% improvement in DSS and 20%, 50% or 70% improvement in LDI in comparison to MTX monotherapy.ConclusionsThe combination of golimumab and MTX as first-line bDMARD therapy is superior to MTX monotherapy for the treatment of PsA dactylitis.Trial registration numberNCT02065713


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Heffernan ◽  
Leanne C Doherty ◽  
Roberta Hack Mendes ◽  
Michelle Clarke ◽  
Stephanie Hodge ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundOlder adults are reported to have sub-optimal B vitamin status; targeted food-based solutions may help to address this. The objectives of the OptiAge food intervention study were to develop and investigate the effectiveness of a B vitamin-fortified drink in improving B vitamin biomarkers in older Irish adults with a primary outcome of change in B vitamin biomarker concentrations.MethodsA multicentre double-blind randomised controlled trial was performed in University College Dublin and Ulster University. Participants aged > 50 years were recruited following screening for exclusion criteria i.e. taking medications known to interfere with B vitamin metabolism, supplements containing B vitamins, consuming >4 portions of B-vitamin fortified foods per week or diagnosed with gastrointestinal, liver or pulmonary disease. Recruited participants were randomised with gender and centre as factors in the randomisation to receive either B vitamin-fortified or placebo drinks (developed by Smartfish, Norway) daily for 16 weeks.ResultsA total of 95 participants were randomised, of which 81 commenced the trial. Of these, 70 completed - 37 in the active and 33 in the placebo groups. Intention to treat (ITT) analysis of the B vitamins demonstrated a significant improvement in all B vitamins biomarkers in the active compared to placebo groups (p<0.01 for Folate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, and Riboflavin). A significant lowering of plasma homocysteine from 11.9 (10.3-15.1) µmol/L to 10.6 (9.4-13.0) µmol/L (functional marker of B vitamin status) was also observed in response to the active treatment (P<0.001). Similar results were seen in a per-protocol analysis.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that a B vitamin-fortified drink was effective in optimising B vitamin status, making this a useful intervention strategy to improve B vitamin status in older adults. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN61709781. - Retrospectively registered, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN61709781


2021 ◽  
pp. 00054-2021
Author(s):  
Evans R. Fernández Pérez ◽  
James L. Crooks ◽  
Jeffrey J. Swigris ◽  
Joshua J. Solomon ◽  
Michael P. Mohning ◽  
...  

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immunologically mediated form of lung disease resulting from inhalational exposure to any of a large variety of antigens. A subgroup of patients with HP develops pulmonary fibrosis (fibrotic HP, FHP), a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the antifibrotic pirfenidone in treating FHP.This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is enrolling adults with FHP (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02958917). Study participants must have fibrotic abnormalities involving ≥5% of the lung parenchyma on high-resolution CT scan, forced vital capacity ≥40% and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ≥30% of predicted values. Study participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive pirfenidone 2403 mg·d−1 or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint is the mean change in %FVC from baseline to week 52. A number of secondary endpoints have been chosen to evaluate the safety and efficacy in different domains.


Author(s):  
Francois-Xavier Lescure ◽  
Hitoshi Honda ◽  
Robert A. Fowler ◽  
Jennifer Sloane Lazar ◽  
Genming Shi ◽  
...  

SummaryBackgroundElevated proinflammatory cytokines have been associated with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) severity. We assessed efficacy and safety of sarilumab, an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, in severe (requiring supplemental oxygen by nasal canula or face mask) or critical (requiring greater supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal support) COVID-19.MethodsThis was a 60-day, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational trial in patients hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and pneumonia, who required oxygen supplementation or intensive care. Patients were randomised 2:2:1 to intravenous sarilumab 400 mg, sarilumab 200 mg, or placebo. The primary endpoint was time to ≥2-point clinical improvement (7-point scale; range: 1 [death] to 7 [not hospitalised]). The key secondary endpoint was proportion of patients alive at day 29. Safety outcomes included adverse events and laboratory assessments. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04327388).FindingsBetween March 28 and July 3, 2020, 420 patients were randomised; 416 received treatment (placebo, n=84; sarilumab 200 mg, n=159; sarilumab 400 mg, n=173). At day 29, there were no significant differences in median (95% CI) time to ≥2-point improvement between placebo (12·0 [9·0–15·0] days) and sarilumab groups (200 mg: 10·0 [9·0–12·0] days, p=0.96, log-rank test; 400 mg: 10·0 [9·0–13·0] days, p=0.34) or in proportions of patients alive (placebo, 91·7%; sarilumab 200 mg, 89·9%, p=0·63; sarilumab 400 mg, 91·9%, p=0·85). At day 29, there were numerical, nonsignificant survival differences between sarilumab 400 mg (88%) and placebo (79%; difference +9%, 95% CI −7·7 to 25·5, p=0·25) for critical patients. There were no unexpected safety signals.InterpretationThis trial did not demonstrate efficacy of sarilumab in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and receiving supplemental oxygen. Adequately powered trials of targeted immunomodulatory therapies assessing survival as a primary endpoint are suggested in patients with critical COVID-19.FundingSanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6003-6003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ma ◽  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
Fangyun Xie ◽  
Weihan Hu ◽  
...  

6003 Background: GP regimen has been established as the standard first-line treatment option for patients with recurrent/metastatic NPC. However, its efficacy in locoregionally advanced disease remains unclear. Methods: Patients with previously untreated, non-metastatic stage III-IVB (except T3-4N0M0, AJCC 7th) NPC, aged 18–64 years without severe comorbidities were eligible. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive GP IC (gemcitabine 1 g/m2on days 1 & 8, cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1, q3w for 3 cycles) plus CCRT (cisplatin 100 mg/m2, q3w for 3 cycles, concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy) or CCRT alone. The primary endpoint was failure-free survival (FFS). The calculated sample size was 238 per group, with an 80% power (two-sided α 0.05) to detect a treatment failure hazard ratio (HR) of 0.52. Results: From Dec 2013 to Sep 2016, 480 patients from 12 centers were randomly assigned to IC+CCRT (n = 242) or CCRT alone (n = 238) group. Baseline characteristics were well balanced. After a median follow-up of 39 months, 3-year FFS was 85.8% in the IC+CCRT group and 77.2% in the CCRT alone group (intention-to-treat population; HR 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.81; P = 0.003). In GP+CCRT group, 239 patients started GP IC and 231 (96.7%) completed all three cycles. The most common ≥grade 3 adverse events (AE) in IC+CCRT and CCRT group were mucositis (28.9% vs. 32.1%), neutropenia (28.0% vs. 10.5%) and leukopenia (26.4% vs. 20.3%). Conclusions: Adding GP IC to CCRT significantly improved FFS in locoregionally advanced NPC and is well tolerated with favorable toxicity profile. Clinical trial information: NCT01872962. [Table: see text]


Author(s):  
Stefan Minocchieri ◽  
Clare A Berry ◽  
J Jane Pillow

ObjectiveTo evaluate if nebulised surfactant reduces intubation requirement in preterm infants with respiratory distress treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP).DesignDouble blind, parallel, stratified, randomised control trial.SettingSole tertiary neonatal unit in West Australia.PatientsPreterm infants (290–336 weeks’ gestational age, GA) less than 4 hours of age requiring 22%–30% supplemental oxygen, with informed parental written consent.InterventionsInfants were randomised within strata (290–316 and 320–336 weeks’ GA) to bubble nCPAP or bubble nCPAP and nebulised surfactant (200 mg/kg: poractant alfa) using a customised vibrating membrane nebuliser (eFlow neonatal). Surfactant nebulisation (100 mg/kg) was repeated after 12 hours for persistent supplemental oxygen requirement.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcomes were requirement for intubation and duration of mechanical ventilation at 72 hours. Data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle.Results360 of 606 assessed infants were eligible; 64 of 360 infants were enrolled and randomised (n=32/group). Surfactant nebulisation reduced the requirement for intubation within 72 hours: 11 of 32 infants were intubated after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and nebulised surfactant compared with 22 of 32 infants receiving CPAP alone (relative risk (95% CI)=0.526 (0.292 to 0.950)). The reduced requirement for intubation was limited to the 320–336 weeks’ GA stratum. The median (range) duration of ventilation in the first 72 hours was not different between the intervention (0 (0–62) hours) and control (9 (0–64) hours; p=0.220) groups. There were no major adverse events.ConclusionsEarly postnatal nebulised surfactant may reduce the need for intubation in the first 3 days of life compared with nCPAP alone in infants born at 290–336 weeks’ GA with mild respiratory distress syndrome. Confirmation requires further adequately powered studies.Trial registration numberACTRN12610000857000.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 1349-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
RBC Kavia ◽  
D De Ridder ◽  
CS Constantinescu ◽  
CG Stott ◽  
CJ Fowler

Background: Bladder dysfunction is a common feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: In this study we aimed to assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of Sativex® (nabiximols) as an add-on therapy in alleviating bladder symptoms in patients with MS. Methods: We undertook a 10-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in 135 randomized subjects with MS and overactive bladder (OAB). Results: The primary endpoint was the reduction in daily number of urinary incontinence episodes from baseline to end of treatment (8 weeks). Other endpoints included incidence of nocturia and urgency, overall bladder condition (OBC), daytime frequency, Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL), Patient’s Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and volume voided. The primary endpoint showed little difference between Sativex and placebo. Four out of seven secondary endpoints were significantly in favour of Sativex: number of episodes of nocturia (adjusted mean difference -0.28, p = 0.010), OBC (-1.16, p = 0.001), number of voids/day (-0.85, p = 0.001) and PGIC ( p = 0.005). Of the other endpoints, number of daytime voids was statistically significantly in favour of Sativex (-0.57, p = 0.044). The improvement in I-QOL was in favour of Sativex but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Although the primary endpoint did not reach statistical significance, we conclude that Sativex did have some impact on the symptoms of overactive bladder in patients with MS, providing evidence of some improvement in symptoms associated with bladder dysfunction in these subjects.


BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. n1162
Author(s):  
Karim Asehnoune ◽  
Charlene Le Moal ◽  
Gilles Lebuffe ◽  
Marguerite Le Penndu ◽  
Nolwen Chatel Josse ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To assess the effect of dexamethasone on complications or all cause mortality after major non-cardiac surgery. Design Phase III, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Setting 34 centres in France, December 2017 to March 2019. Participants 1222 adults (>50 years) requiring major non-cardiac surgery with an expected duration of more than 90 minutes. The anticipated time frame for recruitment was 24 months. Interventions Participants were randomised to receive either dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg immediately after the surgical procedure, and on day 1) or placebo. Randomisation was stratified on the two prespecified criteria of cancer and thoracic procedure. Main outcomes measures The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative complications or all cause mortality within 14 days after surgery, assessed in the modified intention-to-treat population (at least one treatment administered). Results Of the 1222 participants who underwent randomisation, 1184 (96.9%) were included in the modified intention-to-treat population. 14 days after surgery, 101 of 595 participants (17.0%) in the dexamethasone group and 117 of 589 (19.9%) in the placebo group had complications or died (adjusted odds ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 1.08; P=0.15). In the stratum of participants who underwent non-thoracic surgery (n=1038), the primary outcome occurred in 69 of 520 participants (13.3%) in the dexamethasone group and 93 of 518 (18%) in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio 0.70, 0.50 to 0.99). Adverse events were reported in 288 of 613 participants (47.0%) in the dexamethasone group and 296 of 609 (48.6%) in the placebo group (P=0.46). Conclusions Dexamethasone was not found to significantly reduce the incidence of complications and death in patients 14 days after major non-cardiac surgery. The 95% confidence interval for the main result was, however, wide and suggests the possibility of important clinical effectiveness. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03218553 .


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faouzi Khediri ◽  
Abdennebi Ilhem Mrad ◽  
Moussadek Azzouz ◽  
Hedi Doughi ◽  
Taoufik Najjar ◽  
...  

Background. Although diosmectite has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in children, its efficacy in adults still needs to be assessed. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the efficacy of diosmectite on the time to recovery in adults with acute diarrhoea.Methods. A total of 346 adults with at least three watery stools per day over a period of less than 48 hours were prospectively randomized to diosmectite (6 g tid) or placebo during four days. The primary endpoint was time to diarrhoea recovery.Results. In the intention-to-treat population, median time to recovery was 53.8 hours (range [3.7–167.3]) with diosmectite (n=166) versus 69.0 hours [2.2–165.2] with placebo, (n=163;P=.029), which corresponds to a difference of 15.2 hours. Diosmectite was well tolerated.Conclusion. Diosmectite at 6 g tid was well tolerated and reduced the time to recovery of acute watery diarrhoea episode in a clinically relevant manner.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document