Collaborative Action for SARS-CoV2-Eradication (CARE) is Conducting Clinical Trials For Primary & Secondary Prophylaxis to Reduce COVID-19 Hospitalizations

HOUSTON, May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaborative Action for SARS-CoV2-Eradication (CARE) is conducting a clinical trial to study the efficacy of a topical immune modulating drug Imiquimod cream with Hydroxychloroquine for primary and secondary prophylaxis of subjects with COVID19 infection.

This trial will particularly enroll health care workers who are in the frontlines and are at higher risk of the infection. In addition to personal protective equipments (PPE), this could potentially prevent the infection from becoming serious and requiring hospitalization.  This study was conceived with FDA approved medications which could potentially stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from causing hospitalizations and can be used across the globe.

The reason why COVID causes problems is that this virus which emerged from animals sometimes causes an exaggerated reaction when it encounters the immune system. Normally this process of virus recognition and handover is very methodical. Instead, the immune system overreacts in trying to get rid of the virus and up ends hurting the lungs.

COVID-19 currently poses high infectivity and causes an exuberant immune response leading to severe ARDS, need for ventilator and death. The larger goal of this clinical study is to prevent hospitalization, ICU admissions, and reduce the stress of the health care system which is expected to run into billions of dollars.

The clinical trial plan is to simply streamline this immune recognition and handover process in an orchestrated and methodical manner by using an FDA approved cream called Imiquimod (IMQ) and the FDA approved oral medication called Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). IMQ makes immune recognition better and HCQ makes the viral handover to the adaptive immune system orderly. A recent publication from the Texas Medical Center (TMC) outlines the importance of activating the Innate immune system in enhancing this fight against COVID. The research can be accessed at LINK.

The trials for subjects testing positive for SARS-CoV2 and their high- risk contacts will be performed at the TMC hospitals and will be extended to other centers across the United States. The goal is to create a safe production of antibodies which takes about 7-10 days from the day of infection- this is called safe seroconversion.

TMC is the largest medical center in the world, home to the leading hospitals with about 10 million annual patient encounters and is at the forefront of advancing life sciences.

"CARE is built on the commitment to provide the necessary efforts and resources in addressing the urgent needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the proposed immunomodulatory trial of combining Imiquimod and Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment solution to reduce hospitalization due to the infection," said Dr. Swami Iyer, Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "These trials could lead to faster recovery times for COVID-19 patients with fewer requiring intensive care and mechanical ventilation."

Collaborative Action for SARS-CoV2-Eradication (CARE)
CARE is a Not for profit organization comprised of individuals devoted to providing the necessary support for experts in infection and disease who are investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

For information, please contact: Vivek Gupta at [email protected]

SOURCE CARE