Clinical Trials To Fight Coronavirus Underway In Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA — Four patients have now entered clinical trials for potential coronavirus treatments, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center announced on Wednesday. The hospital is a recent access point selected by Gilead Sciences and they are one of the first to receive the investigational antiviral medication Remdesivir as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is also one of the first locations on the West Coast to offer this clinical trial as health officials push to find a treatment to help coronavirus patients.

“The primary objective of the clinical study is to provide expanded access of RDV for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) infection in adults over the age of 18. Remdesivir is a drug that was initially developed by Gilead for the treatment of disease related to the Ebola and Marburg viruses, but it also showed potential in treating several other single strand RNA viruses – including multiple strains of coronavirus,” the hospital announced.

Long Beach Medical Center’s research team, which led by infectious disease specialist and Principal Investigator Henry Su, M.D., is already getting started.

“It’s being reserved for the sickest patients, as part of the protocol,” Su told Patch. “It’s for patients who are in respiratory failure on a ventilator.”

The trial is important to better understanding how the coronavirus works and what treatment options could benefit patients, he said.

“Right now there are no approved treatments for coronavirus and so one motivation to be part of this trial was to be able to offer our patients these potential treatments. They could have a better chance of coming off a ventilator sooner,” Su said.

“We’re trying to help our patients. We want to help our patients in a safe and monitored way. As far as I know, we’re the only local hospital with this ability so it’s a privilege to work at Long Beach medical Center,” he said.

Gilead’s drug is still under multiple clinical trials but as Axios reports, the company has applied for a trademark for the drug’s packaging.

There are several other clinical trials to help coronavirus patients, including several that are examining people who would be considered more moderately ill, Su said. In March, the University of California, Davis announced two clinical trials in response to the coronavirus.

To learn more about the clinical trial, visit the website.

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