Article No. 339
17 April 2020
17 April 2020 – It’s a difficult task to keep track of COVID-19 news & research, especially since it’s a continually evolving situation. To help the atypical HUS community keep pace with new information, the aHUS Alliance has gathered information likely to be of high interest to patients and their caregivers.
We caution that new information about the coronavirus is learned on an almost hourly basis, so aHUS patients and family caregivers are strongly advised to regularly visit their national government’s outlets for health updates, COVID-19 guidelines, and details related to infectious disease spread in their regions.
Heath care policy, resource allocation, treatment options, drug access, and medical care situations vary widely around the world for those living with aHUS. Given that, and the varied clinical profiles of aHUS patients, it would be almost impossible that any one particular medical protocol would be advised for those aHUS patients battling the coronavirus.
Here’s a selection of recent COVID-19 information (research & articles) that may be of particular interest to people interested in atypical HUS. Looking for more? Visit our aHUS Alliance resource hub which contains links to high interest topics such as transplants, dialysis and more –
Mental Heath: Issues & Resources
Mental Health & COVID-19 – aHUS Alliance Resource Page (Article)
COVID-19 & Complement
Note: The complement system is a part of the body’s immune system that enhances (complements) our ability to prevent or defend against infections.
Coronaviruses hijack the complement system (Article by Wilk, CM, 14 Apr 2020)
Background for our Readers: CM-TMA article
Complement-mediated TMA Awareness – Did you know it was aHUS?
Complement associated microvascular injury and thrombosis in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 infection: A report of five cases (Magro et al, 15 Apr 2020)
Specific Drugs & Treatments in the News
During the 24 March 2020 webinar for FAQs about atypical HUS & COVID-19, Dr. Marie Scully (UK) noted that there were an estimated 300 drugs of interest as potential therapeutics under study. New information appears almost hourly, so your review of updated information is critical.
Overviews
Here’s What We Know about the Most Touted Drugs Tested for COVID-19 (16 Apr 2020, Scientific American)
Drug Evaluation during the Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Apr 2020, NEJM)
Clinical Trials for COVID-19
Note: Use the ‘official’ names for research & clinical trials related to the coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2 and 2019-nCoV
COVID-19 Clinical Trials listed on Clinical Trials.gov – List of 657 Studies
657 Studies as of 17 April 2020
Mentioned in the Media
COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Therapy (use of plasma antibodies from people already recovered from coronavirus) Convalescent Plasma: What is it?
Convalescent plasma: Possible treatment for COVID-19? (10 Apr 2020, Mayo Clinic)
COVID-19 and Convalescent Plasma: Frequently Asked Questions (10 Apr 2020, ASH)
Remdesivir (antiviral, originally developed by Gilead to treat Ebola & Marburg virus diseases)
Gilead & COVID-19 Clinical Trials
Hydroxychloroquine (not to be confused with chloroquine) was originally developed to prevent & treat malaria, but is currently used for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other conditions.
Now studied for COVID-19, and considered in a combination of hydroxychloroquine & azithromycin.
NIH Study (USA)
Icatibant
NL: Researchers at the Radboud UMC look at Bradykinin as a mechanism for COVID-19 blood leakage to impact lung function, and explore use of Icatibant to inhibit bradykinin, in the EU for HAE. Article regarding impact of this research
Research – Kinins and Cytokines in COVID-19: A Comprehensive Pathophysiological Approach (3 Apr 2020)
Many other drugs are under consideration so check: COVID-19 Clinical Trials listed on Clinical Trials.gov
657 Studies as of 17 April 2020
Vaccines Against COVID-19
Of the many companies and academic institutions with a COVID-19 vaccine in development, 5 are currently testing their vaccine candidates in humans. Moderna was the first of these to begin human trials on 16 March.
On 17 April 2020, 47 studies for COVID-19 vaccines were found on ClinicalTrials.gov using these search terms: SARS-CoV-2, Vaccination, and Immunization
Public statement for collaboration on COVID-19 vaccine development (13 Apr 2020, WHO)
Coronavirus vaccine: when will we have one? (15 Apr 2020, The Guardian)
Moderna Ships mRNA Vaccine Against Novel Coronavirus (mRNA-1273) for Phase 1 Study (24 Feb 2020, via Moderna)
INOVIO Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine and Plans First Dose Today (6 Apr 2020, via INOVIO)
Novavax Identifies Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate; Accelerates Initiation of First-in-Human Trial to Mid-May (via Novavax)
Sanofi & GSK to join forces in unprecedented vaccine collaboration to fight COVID-19 (14 Apr 2020, via GSK)
Atypical HUS & COVID-19
UK – National aHUS Service (Home Page: “Important info about COVID-19”)
NL – CUREiHUS (Guidelines: Original in Dutch or Translate into preferred language.)
aHUS & COVID-19 – Webinar (Video: FAQ w/ patients, the Global aHUS Registry)
aHUS Alliance: Articles on COVID-19
8 March 2020 aHUS Trials Watch 10 Toronto Complement Conference, NCT04288713, and COVID-19
14 Mar 2020 They “Get It’ When they can Get It Parallels among COVID-19 & Rare Diseases
18 Mar 2020 aHUS and COVID-19 Conversations and Insights
Not Familiar with the rare disease Atypical HUS?
Visit our COMPLETE aHUS Alliance Resource Page for
COVID-19 & aHUS ‘High Interest’ topics
like: Transplants, Dialysis, Pregnancy, various Languages, More
aHUS & COVID-19: a Resource Page
