Researchers from the University of Oxford have today started recruiting participants for a first-of-its-kind clinical trial to test novel antiviral Covid-19 treatments for use early on in the illness by people in the community with Covid-19 and those who are at higher risk of complications – partnering with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and working with colleagues in several UK universities, and the NHS UK-wide.
The Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of Covid-19 In the Community (PANORAMIC) is a national priority trial and will be open to participants from across the UK.
PANORAMIC has been designed as a ‘platform clinical trial’, meaning it can rapidly evaluate several antiviral treatments over time that could help clinically vulnerable people with Covid-19 recover sooner, prevent the need for hospital admission and so ease the burden on the NHS. The UK Antiviral Taskforce has selected all treatments to be tested - the first treatment to be investigated through the trial will be molnupiravir (brand name, Lagevrio), a Covid antiviral pill already been licensed by the MHRA.
People can join the study if they, are aged 50 and over, aged between 18 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that make them clinically more vulnerable, or have been unwell with Covid-19 for less than five days. All participants should have recorded a positive PCR test within the past seven days.
Participants will receive either the anti-viral treatment plus the current standard care or the current standard of care without the new antiviral treatment. Around 5,300 people will be recruited to each group – up to 10,600 volunteers in total will be needed for testing whether the first novel antiviral in the study reduces the need for people to be admitted to the hospital.
PANORAMIC will bring together GP practices, NHS 111, Test and Trace, Care Homes, pharmacies and other NHS and social care service providers UK-wide who will actively identify potential participants, invite them to take part and support their participation.
The trial will also assess the effectiveness of the treatments on reducing the shedding of the virus, as well as preventing the spread of Covid-19 by offering treatment to some household contacts of participants.
Professor Mahendra Patel, the trial’s Pharmacy and Inclusion and Diversity Lead, said: ‘PANORAMIC will be working closely with pharmacists and their teams across settings to help play a crucial role in raising the awareness of the trial UK-wide and in supporting greater recruitment of volunteers from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds.’
Professor Paul Little from the University of Southampton and Co-Chief Investigator, said: ‘This trial will be one of the most ambitious ever undertaken in UK primary care, and will provide vital information about treatments to help the most vulnerable people in the ongoing fight against Covid-19.’
PANORAMIC is led by Oxford University’s Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), while the delivery of the trial is supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
