A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of Fluvoxamine for Symptomatic Individuals With COVID-19 Infection (STOP COVID)

July 7, 2021 updated by: Eric Lenze, Washington University School of Medicine

The purpose of this research study is to determine if a drug called fluvoxamine can be used early in the course of the COVID-19 infection to prevent more serious complications like shortness of breath. Fluvoxamine is an anti-depressant drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The use of fluvoxamine for the treatment of COVID-19 is considered investigational, which means the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for this use.

This study is fully-remote, which means that there is no face-to-face contact; study materials including study drug will be shipped to participants' houses. Only residents of Missouri and Illinois may participate.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

We will consent approximately 152 participants, age 18 and older, who have tested tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently experiencing mild symptoms. All interactions for this study will be conducted remotely by videoconferencing, email, or phone.

Screening: All participants will first complete a pre-screen to see if they may be eligible for the study. Once a participant is confirmed eligible and consented, the study team will send the study materials. These materials will consist of study medication and self-monitoring equipment, including a pregnancy test (for females of childbearing age not using contraception), an oxygen saturation monitor, blood pressure monitor, and thermometer. Once the study team has finalized the screening process, the participant will begin taking the study medication.

RCT: Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to take either fluvoxamine or a placebo. This phase of the study will last approximately 15 days and is double-blinded. Participants will take 100mg of fluvoxamine or placebo by mouth three times a day for a daily total of 300mg. They will continue this dose for approximately 15 days. Depending on tolerability, the dose may be adjusted. Participants will also complete short 10-15 minute assessments daily to assess symptoms, results of self-monitoring (including oxygen level, blood pressure, and temperature) and any adverse events.

Open-label Phase: After completing the randomization phase, participants will then participate in an open-label phase (participant will definitely receive fluvoxamine) that will last up to 15 days. Those randomized to placebo will have the opportunity to try fluvoxamine during this time. Those randomized to fluvoxamine will continue this medication while slowly decreasing the drug. The participant may opt out of this phase. The dosage during this time will be 50-100mg two times daily until discontinuing the drug.

Follow-up Phase: We will follow participants for approximately 30 days after the end of the randomized phase. If needed, the study team will review medical records to determine the clinical course of participants.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

152

Phase

  • 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
    • Illinois
      • Belleville, Illinois, United States, 62220
        • BJC
    • Missouri
      • Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University School of Medicine

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. men and woman age 18 and older;
  2. Not hospitalized;
  3. Has recently tested SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) positive.
  4. Currently symptomatic with one or more of one or more of the following symptoms: fever, cough, myalgia, mild dyspnea, diarrhea, vomiting, anosmia (inability to smell), ageusia (inability to taste), sore throat.
  5. Able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Illness severe enough to require hospitalization or already meeting study's primary endpoint for clinical worsening.
  2. Unstable medical comorbidities including, but not limited to: Severe underlying lung disease (COPD on home oxygen, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension), decompensated cirrhosis, Congestive heart failure (stage 3 or 4 per patient report and/or medical records).
  3. Immunocompromised (solid organ transplant, BMT, AIDS, on biologics and/or high dose steroids (>20mg prednisone per day)
  4. Unable to provide informed consent (eg moderate-severe dementia diagnosis)
  5. Unable to perform the study procedures

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Fluvoxamine
Start fluvoxamine 100mg capsules, three times daily. May reduce dose (or start at reduced dose) for tolerability reasons. Will be followed in the RCT for approximately 15 days.
Drug: Fluvoxamine
Randomized to either fluvoxamine or placebo for approximately 15 days. Will take up to 300mg per day (3 capsules per day) as tolerated.
Other Names:
  • Luvox
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Start placebo one capsule, three times daily. May reduce dose (or start at reduced dose) for tolerability reasons. Will be followed in RCT for approximately 15 days.
Drug: Placebo
Randomized to either fluvoxamine or placebo for approximately 15 days. Will take up to 3 capsules per day as tolerated.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants Who Met Clinical Worsening
Time Frame: RCT (approximately 15 days)
Clinical worsening is defined meeting both of the following: (1) presence of dyspnea and/or hospitalization for shortness of breath or pneumonia, plus (2) decrease in O2 saturation (<92%) on room air and/or supplemental oxygen requirement in order to keep O2 saturation >92%.
RCT (approximately 15 days)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinical Deterioration on a Likert-type Scale (0-6)
Time Frame: RCT (approximately 15 days)
(0) none; (1) moderate severity of illness as defined by O2 saturation <92% but no supplemental oxygen requirement; (2) O2 saturation plus supplemental oxygen requirement; (3) O2 saturation <92% plus hospitalization (related to dyspnea/hypoxia); (4) the above, plus ventilator support requirement; (5) the above, plus ventilator support for at least 3 days; (6) death.
RCT (approximately 15 days)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Washington University School of Medicine

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Eric J Lenze, MD, Washington University School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

April 10, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 20, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

December 12, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 8, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

April 13, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 9, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 7, 2021

Last Verified

July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 202004023

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.

Clinical Trials on COVID 19

Clinical Trials on Fluvoxamine

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in United States

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe