Scientists who found a treatment for covid that saved thousands of lives have now set their sights on curing the flu.
Trials in 150 NHS hospitals will take place over the next two years and will test drugs on thousands of Britons infected with flu.
Flu cases could soar this year, experts have warned, as immunity to the virus has waned after two years of lockdown.
The £2.9 million REMAP-CAP trial, originally set up to address the pandemic, will now work with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to carry out the tests.
Scientists who found a treatment for covid that saved thousands of lives have now set their sights on curing the flu
Trials in 150 NHS hospitals will take place over the next two years and will test drugs on thousands of Britons infected with flu.
His 2021 work showed that the arthritis drug tocilizumab could help eliminate the risk of death from Covid by more than a third.
Doctors all over the world began using the drug immediately.
While many people with the flu get better on their own without hospital treatment, some can become seriously ill and even life-threatening.
There is no clear evidence about which treatments are best for severe cases.
This is the first time such an assay will be used for influenza.
The trial is designed to provide answers quickly by using a rapid approach to testing multiple treatments at the same time in thousands of people.
The nature of the trial will allow the team to ensure that people receive treatments that show encouraging results as soon as possible.
Professor Anthony Gordon, Principal Investigator of the new trial, from Imperial College London’s Department of Surgery and Cancer, said: “During the pandemic, our trial was able to respond rapidly to a new virus and our approach helped save lives.”
We are now redistributing it against a known threat.
Minister for Health and Secondary Care Will Quince (UK Parliament/PA)
“The flu is highly contagious and can make children, the elderly and vulnerable people seriously ill in some cases.
“This winter, we could see more flu cases than usual, as the virus could resurge after pandemic measures have kept levels low.
“We hope our trial will help quickly find urgently needed flu treatments.
“Our Covid-19 trial changed clinical practice globally, and we hope we can impact influenza treatment and reduce winter pressures in the NHS in the same way.”
Running for two years (at first), the trial aims to enroll several thousand people and will test multiple treatments.
These include the antiviral treatments oseltamivir (also known as Tamiflu) and baloxavir, as well as steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs that have been found to be effective against covid.
The trial will be open to adults, children and infants older than one month who are hospitalized with severe influenza.
Dr Elizabeth Whittaker, pediatric infectious disease consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Influenza can be a very serious illness for some children, in some cases leading to hospitalization and problems such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
‘Getting the free flu spray vaccine is our first line of defense and drastically reduces the risks to children. But we also need more treatments to help children who become seriously ill, which is why this trial is so important.
“Working with a variety of experts across the country, we hope to determine the best treatments for the flu and ultimately save lives.”
The trial is designed to provide answers quickly by using a rapid approach to testing multiple treatments at the same time in thousands of people.
Health and Secondary Care Minister Will Quince said: “Clinical research was vital in our fight against covid and helped save thousands of lives across the country.”
“This groundbreaking trial will use the lessons we’ve learned from Covid and deliver treatments to reduce severe illness in flu patients, ease pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives.”
The researchers will study how effective the treatments are in reducing deaths from the flu and arresting patients who need intensive care.
The trial will be led by researchers and clinicians from Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in collaboration with other national experts.
It is funded by the NIHR and delivered by the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
