UK Trial to Test Anti-Inflammatory and Cancer Drugs as Possible COVID-19 Treatments

Researchers at the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford have said they will test a series of new and existing medications as potential treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, starting with two anti-inflammatory drugs.

Izana Biosciences’ namilumab and Celltrion Healthcare’s Remsima (infliximab) are the first drugs selected for the large Catalyst trial.

Namilumab is a human monoclonal antibody already in late-stage trials for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, while infliximab is an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy currently used as a treatment for inflammatory conditions, including eight autoimmune diseases.