CTI BioPharma Launches Phase 3 Trial of Pacritinib for COVID-19

CTI BioPharma has initiated a phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate its oral multikinase inhibitor pacritinib in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.

The trial will compare pacritinib plus the standard of care to placebo plus standard of care in 358 hospitalized patients. The primary endpoint will be the proportion of patients who progress to mechanical ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or die by day 28.

CTI expects to begin enrollment in May across the U.S. and Europe. Results from the trial are expected by the end of the year.