News Category: Partner News

Global clinical trial to test existing drugs as Long Covid treatments

Western University and Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid will enroll more than 300 patients across four continents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        
April 24, 2025                                               

Contact: Swati Pandey, SILC
spandey@silc.org

Contact: Cynthia Fazio, Western University
cynthia.fazio@uwo.ca

LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA — Spanning four continents and enrolling hundreds of people, a new clinical trial will test the effectiveness of two anti-inflammatory medicines as potential treatments for long COVID, scientists from Western University and the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid (SILC) announced today.

“Despite the global prevalence of long COVID, patients report different symptoms and their presentation can be influenced by where they happen to live,” said Dr. Douglas D. Fraser, professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “A study with global reach, tailored to examine each patient’s most severe symptoms, has the potential to bring hope to people well beyond Canada and the U.S.”

The trial, funded by SILC, will examine whether upadacitinib and pirfenidone—approved for treating arthritis and lung disease, respectively–-can be repurposed to reduce or eliminate symptoms of long COVID. The drugs were identified by an earlier SILC-funded study that, over the past 18 months, examined over 5,400 blood proteins from 1,028 participants with and without long COVID and found 13 common biological pathways for the progression of the disease. Upadacitinib and pirfenidone were identified using artificial intelligence as two existing drugs that could interrupt several of those pathways.

“Drug repurposing has the potential to bring effective treatments to long COVID patients worldwide far more quickly than creating a new medicine from scratch,” said Dr. John Redd, CEO of SILC. “Our hope is that the 65 million people living each day with this often debilitating condition will soon find relief for their symptoms—no matter where in the world they happen to live.” 

Spanning seven trial locations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Italy, Uganda and Zambia, the Phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-arm platform study will enroll a total of 348 participants. Researchers will track five symptoms—fatigue, breathing issues, memory and thinking problems, muscle and joint aches and circulation—to determine which is most severe in each patient. Researchers will investigate the two drugs versus placebos for the first three months, perform an analysis, and then monitor participants for an additional three months.

The study will progress using an adaptive platform—meaning researchers can pivot to stop testing either of the drugs if they fail to show results or, if both drugs appear promising, stop use of the placebo. The method was notably used to rapidly develop and test COVID therapeutics during Operation Warp Speed.

The trial is the second of three set for the first half of this year with funding and guidance from SILC, a nonprofit organization founded in 2023 by philanthropists Eric and Wendy Schmidt to advance long COVID care for patients globally.  

For more information about the study, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and search the identifier NCT06928272.

Photo: Dr. Douglas D. Fraser
Photo credit: Rena Panchyshyn, special to Western Communications

About Western University

Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community. For more information, visit https://uwo.ca/.

About the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid

The Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid (SILC) advances clinical care for Long Covid patients globally. The nonprofit organization, founded in 2023 by philanthropists Eric and Wendy Schmidt, works to raise the level of Long Covid care and understanding around the world, connecting specialists and primary care providers to support patients and share knowledge virtually, in real time. For more information, visit https://silc.org/.

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