SafeHomeDIY
  • Home
  • Health
    • Health Today
    • Women’s Health
    • Safety
    • Health & Fitness
    • Weight Loss
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Food & Recipe
    • Skin Care
  • Allergies & Diseases
    • Autism
    • Remedies
  • Pets
  • News
  • #COVID-19
  • Guest Post
SafeHomeDIY
Subscribe
SafeHomeDIY
  • Home
  • Health
    • Health Today
    • Women’s Health
    • Safety
    • Health & Fitness
    • Weight Loss
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Food & Recipe
    • Skin Care
  • Allergies & Diseases
    • Autism
    • Remedies
  • Pets
  • News
  • #COVID-19
  • Guest Post
  • News

FDA expert warns the US could run out of researchers to run coronavirus drug trials

  • April 25, 2020
  • SafeHomeDIY

There are more than 70 trials for treatments for coronavirus happening in the US, and the race for a therapeutic leave labs shorthanded of researchers, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official has said. 

‘Although we may not run out of patients, unfortunately, we may run out of research personnel and time availability to do that in this way of having separate development programs,’ said Dr Janet woodcock during a webinar attended by Business Insider.

In addition to the trials of these 72 potential treatments, she said that there are hundreds more being planned, and nearly another thousand requests for COVID-19 treatment research for the FDA to wade through and approve (or reject), Business Insider reported. 

Meanwhile, some of the frontrunners in the race for a treatment are beginning to report results – and it’s not all positive, including damning early reports from hydroxychloroquine trials. 

An FDA official warned Thursday that the many ongoing and upcoming trials of coronavirus drugs may deplete a crucial research resource: scientists and healthcare workers to oversee the studies (file)

An FDA official warned Thursday that the many ongoing and upcoming trials of coronavirus drugs may deplete a crucial research resource: scientists and healthcare workers to oversee the studies (file)

An FDA official warned Thursday that the many ongoing and upcoming trials of coronavirus drugs may deplete a crucial research resource: scientists and healthcare workers to oversee the studies (file) 

In the US and around the world, hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir have garnered the most attention.  

A combination of two HIV drugs – lopinavir and ritonavir – that was an early favorite for treating coronavirus has yielded disappointing results, but some clinical trials for them are still ongoing.  

Other studies are investigating whether everything from convalescent plasma from recovered coronavirus patients to experimental cancer drugs and arthritis medications can combat the virus’s devastating effects.  

Biotech research and development were slated to get more than $720 million in funding from the US as of earlier this month, according to USASpending.gov. 

But even that investment from the government and the capital Big Pharma companies like Johnson & Johnson, Gilead, and Novartis are pouring into treatment studies won’t on its own fill an essential need in the research: scientists. 

Running a clinical trial requires a lot of people – both patients and researchers. 

A Veteran Affairs trial of hydroxychloroquine is among the many studies ongoing to investigate potential coronavirus treatments (pictured), but early results recently found that more patients taking the drug had died than had patients given only supportive care (file)

A Veteran Affairs trial of hydroxychloroquine is among the many studies ongoing to investigate potential coronavirus treatments (pictured), but early results recently found that more patients taking the drug had died than had patients given only supportive care (file)

A Veteran Affairs trial of hydroxychloroquine is among the many studies ongoing to investigate potential coronavirus treatments (pictured), but early results recently found that more patients taking the drug had died than had patients given only supportive care (file) 

Among the 72 ongoing studies are those investigating the use of plasma from the blood of recovered coronavirus patients to treat those still battling the disease (file)

Among the 72 ongoing studies are those investigating the use of plasma from the blood of recovered coronavirus patients to treat those still battling the disease (file)

Among the 72 ongoing studies are those investigating the use of plasma from the blood of recovered coronavirus patients to treat those still battling the disease (file) 

Remdesivir is one of the most highly-anticipated possible coronavirus treatments being studied by multiple groups across the US. Results thus far are mixed

Remdesivir is one of the most highly-anticipated possible coronavirus treatments being studied by multiple groups across the US. Results thus far are mixed

Remdesivir is one of the most highly-anticipated possible coronavirus treatments being studied by multiple groups across the US. Results thus far are mixed 

A clinical trial can be run by one person, but the larger the trial and more closely the involved patients need to be monitored, the more people have to be involved. 

For example, a single trial could be run across multiple hospitals in various states, requiring a large team of scientists to oversee patients. 

And the most robust, reliable trials are the largest ones. Phase III trials commonly involve thousands of patients. 

So far, more than 890,000 Americans have contracted coronavirus, so the patient pool is certainly large enough to recruit from, but not all trials have the same criteria and these patients are spread across the states. 

In addition to the 72 trials that the FDA has signed off on, Dr Woodcock said that there were another 211 gearing up to begin testing their drugs, and more than 900 requests and proposals for testing coronavirus drugs have been sent to the agency. 

‘That’s a rather overwhelming amount in such a short time,’ said Dr Woodcock. 

‘You can see that this is a massive effort.’ 

But investigating each of these treatments individually could stretch the needed human resources even further. 

So Dr Woodcock, who oversees the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, is advocating for an ‘adaptive’ approach to studies. 

This model has researchers test several potential treatments as part of one trial protocol, comparing the results of multiple different treatments to a single control group. 

It’s already being done in the UK, as well as being applied to at least one National Institutes of Health (NIH) trial that focuses most prominently on remdesivir. 

Dr Woodcock also said that the potential shortage of researchers to staff coronavirus treatment trials and general difficulty of finding therapeutics underscores broader issues in how research is conducted in the US. 

‘This crisis underlies and points out the need to have better clinical trial infrastructure in place,’ she said in the webinar.   

Source: Daily Mail | Health News

SafeHomeDIY

Health - Relationships - Lifestyle Related matters. It's All About your Safety First - It's All About You

Previous Article
  • Allergies & Diseases

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms & Treatment Methods

  • April 25, 2020
  • SafeHomeDIY
View Post
Next Article
  • News

DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: Unleash your creativity and feel SMILES better during coronavirus lockdown

  • April 25, 2020
  • SafeHomeDIY
View Post
You May Also Like
Storing fat in certain area of the body may raise risk of Alzheimer’s disease - new study
View Post
  • News

Storing fat in certain area of the body may raise risk of Alzheimer’s disease – new study

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
Holiday hell for British grandmother after heart attack mistaken for bad indigestion
View Post
  • News

Holiday hell for British grandmother after heart attack mistaken for bad indigestion

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
New data from The UK Health Security Agency shows gonorrhoea diagnoses reached 82,592 in 2022, the highest number since records began in 1918
View Post
  • News

How rife is gonorrhoea in YOUR area? Map reveals where the clap is most prevalent 

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
Campaigners have demanded immediate changes to the 'cruel' financial support scheme for Brits injured or left bereaved by Covid vaccines like AstraZeneca's
View Post
  • News

Covid vaccine injury bill tops £12MILLION after two dozen backlogged damage claims are approved

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
M&S has removed use-by dates from its milk and will now encourage customers to use a sniff test to judge whether it is in date
View Post
  • News

M&S bins 'use-by' dates on milk – in favour of the sniff test!

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
Could what you eat and drink while on your period be making your symptoms worse? Anyone who menstruates will be able to tell you that their mood, body image, shape, performance and sleep all change throughout their cycle.
View Post
  • News

I'm a fertility doctor – these are the food and drinks to AVOID when on your period

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
Experts share 'key consideration' if you want to keep fit in your 50s and beyond
View Post
  • News

Experts share 'key consideration' if you want to keep fit in your 50s and beyond

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
BREAKING: Massive Brawl Breaks out outside Glendale, CA School Board as Armenian Parents Take on the Alphabet Mob
View Post
  • News

BREAKING: Massive Brawl Breaks out outside Glendale, CA School Board as Armenian Parents Take on the Alphabet Mob

  • SafeHomeDIY
  • June 7, 2023
Recent Posts
  • Emily Skye- Wiki, Biography, Age, Height, Net Worth, Husband
  • 6 Recommended Vitamins And Supplements That Can Prevent Brain Tumours
  • Krista Allen- Wiki, Biography, Age, Height, Net Worth, Husband
  • Shallipopi’s Arrest: What Did He Do? His Net Worth Before Arrest
  • Frederick Schmidt Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography
Safe Home DIY
  • Guest Post
  • Disclaimer and Disclosure
  • Term of Use
Health - Relationships - Lifestyle Related matters. It's All About your Safety First - It's All About You

Input your search keywords and press Enter.