The University of Oxford is gearing up to launch a trial of the anti-inflammatory drug adalimumab as a treatment for COVID-19 patients in community care homes.

The phase 2 trial will evaluate whether the drug can reduce inflammation and prevent the disease from becoming more serious or lead to death. It aims to enroll 750 patients across the UK. Recruitment for the trial is expected to begin in late October.

The trial is sponsored by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, an initiative set up by Wellcome, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mastercard. Sandoz will be providing the drug for the trial.