Saved From COVID-19 - Chloroquine (CQ) Prophylaxis for Health Care Workers at Risk for COVID

February 6, 2025 updated by: Anca Askanase, Columbia University

Chloroquine (CQ) Prophylaxis for Health Care Workers at Risk for COVID

The primary objective is to determine the clinical efficacy of Chloroquine (CQ) in health care workers with moderate to high risk of exposure to COVID-19 in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections. Secondary endpoints will explore the efficacy of CQ in preventing any infection as defined by seroconversion to positive anti-COVID antibody status.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Chloroquine (CQ) phosphate is an immunomodulatory drug that has been approved by the FDA for prophylaxis of and treatment of malaria, treatment of lupus erythematosus, and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Anecdotal data and in-vitro studies suggests potential benefit of chloroquine in treating COVID-19 patients. The use of CQ to treat COVID-19 patients have been demonstrated to be effective in inhibiting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The use of CQ in health care workers with moderate to high risk of exposure to COVID-19 in could prevent symptomatic COVID 19 infections. 350 participants will be randomized (like a flip of a coin) to a 3 month chloroquine versus an identical course of placebo. A placebo is a sugar pill which has no active ingredient. will attend one in person visit during month 0 for screening and randomization, and if possible during the last visit at month 3. During month 1 and 2 the in person visits are optional and the PI can follow up with subjects through telemedicine or phone call. Informed consent, inclusion/exclusion criteria, demographic, medical/ disease history/ comorbidity/ medical records review, prior/ concomitant meds and procedures, and adverse events will be collected from patient during screening visit 1 (month 0). Limited physical assessment, vitals, blood serum, investigational product compliance review, assessment of adverse events, serious adverse events, adverse events of special interest, and endpoint assessments are also collected during visit 1. Prior/concomitant medications and procedures, adverse events, study drug compliance review, adverse events of special interest, adverse events of special interest and endpoint assessments will be reviewed at every visit. Blood serum will be collected during visits 1 (month 0) and at visit 4 (month 3) if subject can come to the visit physically. By the end of the study, the investigators hope that there is decrease of symptomatic illness in at risk healthcare workers and a decrease in symptomatic COVID infection.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
5

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NYP

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age ≥18 years,
  2. Employment by New York Presbyterian Hospital
  3. Clear assignment to areas of the hospital that involve patient contact and possible exposures for at least 2 days a week >/= 8 hours a day

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Individuals who are taking CQ for other indications
  2. New use of NSAIDs
  3. High risk background medications not limited to immunosuppressive regimens, steroids, anti-B cell therapies, anti-cytokine therapies, chemotherapies, Janus Kinase (JAK)-inhibitors
  4. Individuals with a history of retinopathy that would contraindicate the use of CQ
  5. Known allergy to CQ or chloroquine
  6. Known QT prolongation and torsades de point
  7. Individuals who are pregnant or nursing

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: CQ group
Participants will receive CQ supply for 3 months. Patients will receive a supply of 36 -- 250 mg tabs or placebo that will last 3 months (enough for taking two tabs of 250mg for every day for one week and then two tabs of 250mg for 1 day a week thereafter for study duration of 3 months). Subjects with severe GI intolerance can take 1 tablet of 250mg daily for the first week and 1 tablet per week for the remainder of the 3 month study duration. Patients will attend 1 in person visits (month 0) and an additional visit during month 3 if possible with the physician where they will be evaluated for safety assessments including vital signs, physical exams, blood collection, and assessment of endpoints. During month 1, 2, and 3 participants will be followed up regarding concomitant medications and adverse events over the phone call.
Drug: Chloroquine
Subjects will take two tabs of 250mg for every day for one week and then two tabs of 250mg for 1 day a week thereafter for study duration of 3 months). Subjects with severe GI intolerance can take 1 tablet of 250mg daily for the first week and 1 tablet per week for the remainder of the 3 month study duration.
Other Names:
  • CQ
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group
Participants will receive placebo supply for 3 months. Patients will attend 1 in person visits (month 0) and an additional visit during month 3 if possible with the physician where they will be evaluated for safety assessments including vital signs, physical exams, blood collection, and assessment of endpoints. During month 1, 2, and 3 participants will be followed up regarding concomitant medications and adverse events over the phone call.
Drug: Placebo oral tablet
Subjects will take two tabs of placebo for every day for one week and then two tabs of placebo for 1 day a week thereafter for study duration of 3 months).
Other Names:
  • Placebo pill

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Healthcare Workers With Symptomatic COVID Infections
Time Frame: Up to 3 months
Diagnosis is based on symptoms of COVID-19 and confirmatory anti-COVID antibodies and when available, COVID-19 PCR. This is to determine/measure the clinical efficacy of CQ in healthcare workers.
Up to 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Workers and Patients With Infections
Time Frame: 3 months

This is to measure the efficacy of CQ in preventing any infection as defined by seroconversion to positive anti-COVID antibody status.

The number of severe illnesses in at risk healthcare workers and patients with adverse events grade 3 or higher and GI intolerance will be tallied.
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Columbia University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Anca Askanase, MD, MPH, Columbia University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 21, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 11, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 11, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 12, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 16, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 6, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • AAAS9992

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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