Study involving 10,000 patients will investigate a range of potentially ground-breaking oral antivirals
More than 10,000 people across the UK have taken part in the NIHR-funded PANORAMIC trial to rapidly generate evidence about people with COVID-19 which are helped the most by new antiviral treatments.
This marks several milestones, including by far the world’s largest study into antivirals against COVID-19. The PANORAMIC trial is also believed to be the largest study of community-based treatments for acute COVID-19 and the UK’s fastest ever recruiting interventional trial delivered through primary care.
“We want to thank every single one of the 10,000 people who have taken part in the PANORAMIC trial to date,” Dr William van’t Hoff, NIHR, confided. “Your vital contribution to this remarkable study will provide key evidence in record time for a potentially game-changing class of new COVID-19 treatments.”
The study will investigate a range of potentially ground-breaking oral antivirals which can be safely taken at home by people in at-risk groups in the early stages of infection.
“The eyes of the world are on the UK’s PANORAMIC trial – the world’s largest study into COVID-19 antivirals to date,” Chief Investigator Professor Chris Butler, University of Oxford, mused. “Data from the trial will ultimately shape the way that the UK uses this new class of treatment as we learn to live with the virus, with our approach expected to be emulated world-wide.”
“Since it started in December last year, more than 40,000 people across the UK have generously come forward to see if they were eligible to take part and help,” elaborated Professor Chris Butler.
Despite the several significant milestones being reached, recruitment to the molnupiravir arm continues. The trial researchers aim to enrol thousands more participants into this study arm.
“We’ve had people join from across the UK – but we still need more people to volunteer,” Professor Mahendra Patel, Pharmacy, Inclusion and Diversity Lead for PANORAMIC, encouraged. “We want our results to reflect the true diversity of people in the UK, so we’re especially asking for more people from minority ethnic communities, people living with disabilities or other protected characteristics to volunteer if you’re eligible.”
