EDGEWOOD, Ky. —St. Elizabeth Healthcare said it will be the first in the world to start a new COVID-19 clinical trial using a specific drug and breathing treatment.
The goal, officials said, is to boost immunity in the lungs in the early stages of the illness.
Doctors said the study will take place at the locations in Fort Thomas and Edgewood and will enroll 10 people.
They said some will get the drug and some will not, as they assess if it can truly make a difference.
"The hope is by using this medication, we prevent them from getting worse," Dr. Chaitanya Mandapakala said.
Mandapakala is leading a new trial at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in northern Kentucky.
He said this trial studies the safety and effectiveness of a drug delivered as a breathing treatment to patients with early stages of COVID-19 infection.
The goal, according to Mandapakala, is to boost immunity to the virus and prevent it from progressing.
"COVID is a disease that most prominently affects the lungs. It affects other parts of the body too, but most prominently affects the lungs," he said.
The drug, PUL-042, is produced by Pulmotect, Inc., and is being studied in partnership with CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, according to St. Elizabeth officials.
Mandapakala said 10 patients will be enrolled, five will get the medication and the other five will not.
"We will monitor them and if for any reason they get worse, and they end up needing oxygen, then they will just continue to get the regular care that we give to all of our other patients," he said.
He hopes the drug could help patients recover faster, decrease hospital stays and prevent people from needing ventilators, as the search for treatments continues.
"If it proves to be something that can really prevent the disease from taking hold in the lungs, then it has a lot of possibilities in the future," Mandakapala said.
He said this kind of treatment could be a game-changer, allowing people to receive it at their homes instead of hospitals.
Doctors said each of the 10 sites will enroll 10 patients, compiling data and results from 100 patients in total.
They hope to have results in the coming months.