Cancer Research UK helps launch Covid-19 clinical trial

A drug used to treat inflammation of the pancreas is being tested in a clinical trial to see if it can help people with Covid-19.

The SPIKE1 trial, launched by Cancer Research UK and partners, will investigate whether the drug camostat can help control symptoms of the virus and prevent people from needing to go to hospital. Camostat is used to treat pancreatic disease and is already licensed within Japan and South Korea.

The SPIKE1 trial is funded by medical research charity LifeArc and is being led by Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development (CDD), pharmaceutical company Latus Therapeutics and the University of Edinburgh.

The trial will recruit people with symptoms of Covid-19 that don’t currently require hospital care. The trial will take place in a community setting, with patients taking a daily dose of the tablet. They will then be assessed daily by telephone and will self-report their temperature and blood oxygen. The trial’s objective is to see if taking camostat early after Covid-19 symptoms show can stop the infection progressing to the point of a patient requiring hospitalisation.

It was Latus Therapeutics’ founder, Dr Bobojon Nazarov, who identified key studies showing camostat preventing coronavirus from entering the host cell. Dr Nazarov put together a team from the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh, and then approached the CDD for support in launching the clinical trial.

Other clinical trials investigating camostat are currently underway, including a trial at Aarhus University in Denmark. The SPIKE1 trial is unique in terms of the dose level of camostat being tested. The project is being sponsored and managed by the CDD at no cost to Cancer Research UK.

Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re seeing the impact of Covid-19 on cancer patients throughout the country and we have the skills at Cancer Research UK to assist the national effort in helping to beat this virus, and support from LifeArc is critical to this new trial.

“The charity’s Centre for Drug Development has a strong track record in setting up trials quickly, which is a testament to our sector leading ways of working. The team have shown that in these uncertain times they’ve not only managed to continue treatment for all cancer patients on their phase I trials, but also excelled at this challenge and lent their expertise to others in need. Because we know that the sooner we can find ways to minimise the impact of Covid-19, the more quickly we can more fully return to our life saving cancer research.”

Melanie Lee, LifeArc’s CEO, said: “As an independent medical charity with expertise in medical translation, LifeArc could rapidly offer the resources to evaluate proposals and financially support studies with the best chance of improving patient outcomes. We are pleased to support this vital work during the Covid-19 pandemic.” 

Dr Bobojon Nazarov, founder of Latus Therapeutics, said: “Camostat belongs to the only class of drug that has a strong mechanistic basis for blocking entry of the virus into human cells. We believe this drug could be used to reduce the severity of Covid-19 infection, providing much needed time for the body’s immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it. Unlike finding a vaccine, this drug could be used quickly to help people recover from Covid-19.”