Since March 30, the French Blood Establishment Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Hospices Civils de Lyon have launched a new clinical trial in various COVID intensive care units to assess the efficiency of plasma exchanges and avoid patient intubation. The health campus of the Saint-Etienne University Hospital is also in the game.
“The breathing difficulties seem to be, in part, related to a strong presence of inflammatory substances in the blood and to abnormal antibodies. These substances also prevent the body from defending itself against the virus and other infections. Plasma Exchanges (PE) are treatments that would remove excess substances. They consist of taking the patient’s blood in a sterile manner, removing the plasma containing excess abnormal substances and replacing it with plasma from healthy donors.“, explains the principal investigator of this CovidEP clinical trial, Dr Olivier Hequet.
The objective of the study is therefore to assess whether an additional treatment with Plasmatic Exchange (PE), makes it possible to improve the patient’s respiratory state in the short term, his immunity and his prognosis in the longer term.
“The scientific department of EFS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will participate on the one hand in providing the necessary plasmas and on the other hand in the biological analysis of the samples within the framework of this clinical trial, in particular within the INSERM team, a partner of the EFS in Lyon and Saint-Etienne“, emphasizes Dr. Fabrice Cognasse (Scientific Director of EFS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Research Director INSERM 1059, SAINBIOSE, Saint-Etienne).
- The total number of people expected to participate in this research is 132 patients.
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