- The highly anticipated Phase 2 clinical trial for the synthetic DNA compound BC 007 showed no efficacy for treating Long COVID. The drug, made by the European company Berlin Cures, was designed to neutralize functional autoantibodies (fAABs), which have been found in people with Long COVID. “The analyses of the main endpoints did not show evidence of superior efficacy of the BC 007 treatment arms over the placebo arm,” the company said in a press release. “Due to financial constraints, Berlin Cures GmbH was forced to stop all activities.” (The Sick Times is working on a story unpacking this result — reach out to Betsy if you have input.)
- New research in Med suggests that 23% of Americans could be affected by Long COVID. Using an artificial intelligence tool on the electronic health records of nearly 300,000 people, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital were able to more accurately identify overlooked presentations of the disease, and with less bias. “Our AI tool could turn a foggy diagnostic process into something sharp and focused, giving clinicians the power to make sense of a challenging condition,” one of the authors stated in a press release.
- REVERSE-LC, a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is now recruiting to test the FDA-approved drug Baricitinib for Long COVID. Baricitinb is an immunomodulatory drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19, among other conditions and diseases. The trial aims to enroll 550 people with Long COVID to assess how the drug affects quality of life, as well as brain, heart, and lung function. The study has enrollment sites in California, Georgia, Minnesota, and Tennessee. You can find out more about the trial from our March, 2024 research update. You can enroll on the REVERSE-LC website.
- Science Translational Medicine has released a special issue focused on Long COVID. The issue includes commentary from NIH leaders, comparisons between Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic diseases, a review of clinical trial progress, and more.
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