Possible treatments for long COVID at the centre of new Western study

Researchers from Western University are taking part in trials to test the effectiveness of two inflammatory medicines as potential treatments for long COVID.

More than 300 patients across four continents are at the centre of a Western long COVID study, which hopes to find an effective treatment for those who struggle with long COVID.

The study will look to trial two anti-inflammatory medicines as potential treatments, and hopes to bring into view people who struggle with the disease outside of North America.

“Despite the global prevalence of long COVID, patients report different symptoms and their presentation can be influenced by where they happen to live,” said Dr. Douglas Fraser, professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “A study with global reach, tailored to examine each patient’s most severe symptoms, has the potential to bring hope to people well beyond Canada and the U.S.”

The trial will test two drugs, upadacitinib and pirfenidone – which are approved for treating arthritis and lung disease. They were identified through the assistance of artificial intelligence as two existing drugs that could help intervene and improve disease outcomes.

“Drug repurposing has the potential to bring effective treatments to long COVID patients worldwide far more quickly than creating a new medicine from scratch,” said Dr. John Redd, CEO of the Schmidt Initiative for Long COVID, who funded the trial.

The study will focus on people in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Italy, Uganda and Zambia, monitoring and tracking five symptoms of long COVID: fatigue, breathing issues, memory and thinking problems, muscle and joint aches, and circulation.