Enriched Heparin Anti COVID-19 Trial — EnHanCed  

Covid19 Clinical Trial

Official title: Nebulized Enriched Heparin to Treat no Critical Patients With Sars-Cov-2 - Triple Blind Clinical Trial

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory disease that was identified in December 2019 after the first cases in China, spreading rapidly until reaching pandemic status, causing the collapse of numerous health systems and strong economic and social impact. By the end of April 2020, 3.08 million cases, and more than 214 thousand deaths were already recorded. The treatment so far has not been established and there are several clinical trials testing known drugs that have antiviral activity in vitro, due to the urgency that the global situation imposes. Medicines with specific actions can take years to be discovered, while a vaccine also takes a long time. Recently, it has been shown that the worsening of Coronavirus infection may be related to the formation of micro clots in blood vessels and anticoagulants have been used as adjuvants in the treatment. This study is justified by conducting a pilot study that showed an in vitro antiviral action (anti-COVID-19) of high molecular weight heparin. Methods: A phase I / II clinical trial will be conducted. 40 participants will be included in two arms. Participants allocated to Group 1 (control) will receive inhalation with 0.9% saline applied 4/4 hours, for 7 days. Participants allocated to Group 2 (intervention) will receive high molecular weight inhaled heparin (250ug / mL 0.9% SF), at a 4/4 hour dose, for 7 days. The outcomes of interest will be safety (absence of moderate or serious adverse events) and effectiveness (measured in a score of 7 points, with 1 absence of limitations and 7, death). Expected results: The development of a new therapeutic option for COVID-19 is expected, with the possibility of use in other serious coronavirus diseases, to be subsequently tested in phase III studies.

Clinical Trial Description

In view of the enormous health, financial and social crisis resulting of the pandemic caused by SARS-Cov-2, it is justified to urgently conduct tests with possible antiviral drugs. The high molecular weight heparin (HMWH) (heparin enriched by ultrafiltration process) proposed by this study, has a potential inhibition activity over viral replication, demonstrated by preliminary in vitro tests, carried out in a model established in partnership with the Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology (LVCM) of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (ICB-USP). Along with the findings in the literature, such as the study carried out by Phelps, M.K. et al (2020), among others, the use of inhaled heparin presents adequate levels of safety to be used in a clinical trial. Taking into account that the dose of high molecular weight heparin (enriched by this study team) with antiviral activity in vitro is much lower than the doses currently presented in published clinical trials using inhaled UFH, we have the safety premise to carry out this study. The intentions of this study differ from what has been presented in the world literature so far, as it does not aim to induce anticoagulation, nor to effectively inhibit the formation of pulmonary fibrin, but rather, to act as an inhibitor of viral replication. Also, as characteristics of the product to be tested, this heparin (HMWH) is presented in a buffered solution free of low-sulfated low-weight molecules, which is obtained in a sterile environment through ultrafiltration of the unfractionated solution of porcine origin available in Brazil (Hemofol - Cristália) using Centriprep-10kDa® centrifuge filter (Millipore ™) used as recommended by the manufacturer. The high molecular weight heparin (HMWH) - enriched heparin - had two process patents filed, one under the description "HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT DEFINITION HEPARINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS", BR 102014027804-4 A2 - granted by the Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial (INPI) and another with the description "COMPOSITION OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT NON-FRACTIONAL HEPARINE FOR ANTIVIRAL ACTION ", BR 102020 011964-8 - deposited at INPI. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• COVID-19
• Covid19

• NCT number: NCT04743011
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: UPECLIN HC FM Botucatu Unesp
• Contact: Matheus Bertanha, PhD
• Phone: +55(14)3880-1444
• Email: matheusbertanha@gmail.com
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Start date: June 1, 2021
• Completion date: December 31, 2021