COVID-19 antiviral treatment trial opens to recruitment in Greater Manchester

GPs and healthcare professionals in Greater Manchester and East Cheshire have begun recruitment for a ground-breaking clinical trial for a new oral antiviral treatment for Covid-19.

The Platform Adaptive trial of NOvel antiviRals for eArly treatMent of covid-19 In the Community (PANORAMIC) trial looks to assess the effectiveness of Covid-19 treatements that can be taken at home during the early stages of illness, helping clinically vulnerable people recover more quickly from the illness and reduce the need for future hospital admission and complications.

Local people aged 50 and over, or between 18 and 49 with an underlying health condition that makes them more at risk of serious illness from Covid-19, are eligible to take part in the study. All participants also need to have had a positive Covid-19 test and be within five days of the onset of symptoms.

The PANORAMIC trial is looking to recruit 10,600 volunteers nationally, of which half will be randomly allocated antiviral treatment alongside standard care, while the other half will receive standard care alone to compare the efficacy of treatments. GPs, NHS 111, Test & Trace, care homes, pharmacies and other NHS and social care service providers will actively identify potential participants to invite to take part, or anyone eligible can sign-up for the study directly online.

All participants take part from their own homes, without needing to visit a clinic or hospital. Participants randomised to the group that receives an antiviral treatment will have their medicines sent directly to their homes by courier. Participants will keep a daily diary for 28 days through the PANORAMIC website or receive a phone call from the trial team on days seven, 14 and 28 to speak about their symptoms and any NHS care they have needed.

The results from this highest priority national study will provide a clearer understanding on how antivirals work in the UK population – which has a high vaccination rate – enabling the NHS to better plan how to make COVID-19 antivirals available for those who would benefit from them the most.

Dr Sheila McCorkindale (pictured), Specialty Lead for Primary Care at National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) Greater Manchester, said:

“This landmark trial provides us with an opportunity to gather the extra evidence needed to allow these ground-breaking COVID-19 treatments to be rolled-out widely, as rapidly and safely as possible.

“For this to happen though, we need the public to help by getting involved in the PANORAMIC trial. I would encourage anyone who meets the participation criteria to go to the website to sign-up, or speak to your GP or healthcare professional.

“It’s thanks to people taking part in research that we now have a number of vaccines, tests and lifesaving treatments for coronavirus. By taking part in the PANORAMIC trial, you can make a real difference by helping the NHS add to its armoury against the virus.”

The NIHR is partnering with the University of Oxford, several other UK universities, GPs and the NHS to help deliver this national priority trial at pace and scale across the United Kingdom.