The Alberta government has pledged a $286,000 grant towards a new Alberta specific clinical trial.
University of Calgary and University of Alberta researchers are leading the trial which will investigate the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as an early treatment option for COVID-19.
The Alberta Hope COVID-19 study will recruit 1,600 Albertans who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“We will be targeting Albertans who are at risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19. Those include people over 18, living independently, who have an underlying medical condition which has proven to contribute to the worsening of symptoms, and eventual hospitalization,” said Dr. Luanne Metz, study lead, and professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.
The study will determine whether a prescribed five-day treatment of HCQ can prevent hospitalization for those at highest risk of developing a severe illness.
Participants will be randomized to receive either HCQ or a placebo. Two-thirds of the patients will receive HCQ.
The trial is being done with support from the Alberta government, Alberta Health Services and it’s Strategic Clinical Networks, Calgary Health Trust, Alberta Innovates and the University of Calgary/Alberta Health Services Clinical Research Fund.
HCQ is originally an anti-malarial drug currently used mostly for immunological disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.
