Effect of antibodies investigated in corona patients

The research is subsidized by ZonMw, as part of the COVID-19 program

Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center and Erasmus MC are working with Sanquin to investigate whether plasma administration of ex-corona patients leads to a faster recovery and fewer hospital admissions of corona patients. The research focuses specifically on patients who have not yet been admitted to hospital. If this treatment proves effective, it can help reduce the number of corona hospital admissions. The research is subsidized by ZonMw, as part of the COVID-19 program.

Research by Erasmus MC earlier this year (the ConCOVID study) showed that corona patients are ill for an average of 10 days when they are admitted. At that point, they usually already produce antibodies themselves, so that administration of plasma with antibodies is probably less useful. That research has been stopped and the insights from that first study made it possible to develop this new study.

In the study that started on October 12, the CoV-Early study, one group of patients receives plasma with antibodies via infusion and a second group, the control group, receives plasma without antibodies against the coronavirus. This is necessary in order to be able to reliably investigate the efficacy of plasma. In total, almost 700 participants are sought from all over the Netherlands, who are ill for a maximum of 7 days. They must be at least 70 years of age, or between the ages of 50 and 69 and also belong to a risk group for a severe course of covid19. The researchers focus on this target group because it is difficult to demonstrate an effect of the treatment in younger patients. This is because a serious course of covid19 is exceptional in them.

At Erasmus MC, Dr. Bart Rijnders and Dr. Casper Rokx, both internist and infectiologists, coordinate the research. Rijnders: “The design of the study is unique, but that also makes it difficult. We now want to see whether the administration of plasma with antibodies has an effect in the first days of the disease. Few studies are underway worldwide among patients who have covid19 but have not been hospitalized. ”

“Only with the help of a large network of participating hospitals and self-referrals of patients or referrals by general practitioners and GGDs can the study become a success. We are working hard on this. After the start at Erasmus MC and LUMC, the study will therefore also start in other hospitals so that inclusion speeds up as quickly as possible and patients can participate as much as possible in their region, ”says Rijnders.

At the LUMC, Prof.dr. Jaap Jan Zwaginga the study. Zwaginga: “Participants come to the hospital for the plasma infusion, after it has been determined whether they can participate and their blood group has been determined. If they wish, the participants can also participate in additional studies, such as long-term lung damage, the impact of the infection in older patients or long-term immune response. ”

Drs. Francis Swaneveld, internist-haematologist-transfusion specialist, is involved in the study from Sanquin: “We can only contribute to this research thanks to the many donors who have voluntarily donated their plasma for this purpose. We are therefore very grateful to them. We are still looking for new donors in order to continue to meet the demand. Hopefully their plasma will make the difference. ”

Patients who want to check their eligibility for the study can visit the website www.cov-early.nl of www.coronaplasmastudie.nl. Doctors and general practitioners who want to know more about it will also find the necessary information here. A summary of the study protocol will appear as soon as possible www.clinicaltrials.gov.

More information about the ZonMw COVID-19 program.

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