CLEVELAND — University Hospitals is opening as one of the first sites in the country for a clinical trial for a potentially game-changing COVID-19 drug.
Upamostat is different from other COVID-19 drugs because it's in pill form, which means patients don't need to get it in a hospital setting through an IV.
University Hospitals said the drug exponentially decreased the viral load of COVID-19 in patients in early trials and kept the virus from replicating.
The drug is intended to be prescribed to patients as soon as they start showing COVID-19 symptoms.
"These oral drugs like the flu drug Tamiflu if you know the drug, work very early in the disease, so if people get sick instead of waiting to see what's going to happen to them," said Vice President of Research Dr. Grace McComsey. "The idea is to give them the oral drug to prevent them from progressing and getting to the hospital."
The hospital said patients who enroll in the trial will only need to come into the hospital on the first day and they will be sent home with the medicine and machines to monitor them. Everything will be done virtually.
Study participants must be 18 or older, not require hospitalization, and have started showing symptoms within three days before they start treatment.
If you're interested in enrolling, call 1-833-78-TRIAL or click here.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Rebound Northeast Ohio News 5's initiative to help people through the financial impact of the coronavirus by offering one place to go for information on everything available to help and how to access it. We're providing resources on:
Getting Back to Work - Learn about the latest job openings, how to file for benefits and succeed in the job market.
Making Ends Meet - Find help on topics from rent to food to new belt-tightening techniques.
Managing the Stress - Feeling isolated or frustrated? Learn ways to connect with people virtually, get counseling or manage your stress.
Doing What's Right - Keep track of the way people are spending your tax dollars and treating your community.
We're Open! Northeast Ohio is place created by News 5 to open us up to new ways of thinking, new ways of gathering and new ways of supporting each other.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are now recommending the use of cloth face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about the CDC's recommendation here. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a face maskfrom common household materials, without having to know how to sew.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
