Influenza and Emerging Infectious Diseases

NIH Pandemic-Era Grants

Pandemic Era Grants

2022

Document text

Principal Investigator: Richard  Davey
Organization: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Fiscal Year: 2022
Award: $3,483,874
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Novel means first to better characterize and then to treat infection with major respiratory pathogens using existing or newly developed strategies are a primary focus of this important project within the Clinical Research Section. In this regard, our Section has undertaken clinical research efforts to help better characterize and treat infection with both novel and seasonal subtypes of influenza. A prior treatment trial (FLU005) with hyperimmune intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) showed a significant treatment benefit in patients hospitalized with influenza B infection despite the lower antibody titers present in IVIG against influenza B virus. This outcome lead to the design of a new IVIG trial (FLU006) aimed at targeting a larger number of patients hospitalized with influenza B. However, the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipation of a mild influenza season as a result of public health measures against the former has placed launching of this new trial on temporary hold. 
	The Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU) with the NIH Clinical Center remains one of a small number of special high containment patient care units within the US called upon to hospitalize patients or staff suffering high-risk exposures to highly-infectious agents who require observation and/or care under conditions of high containment. The section continues to provide direct medical oversight to the SCSU. During the current pandemic this has included hospitalizing and providing care for seriously ill patients with COVID-19 from the surrounding community who have been transferred to the NIH for access to investigational therapies. Through engagement with a large domestic and international network enterprise as coordinated through NIAIDs Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), the Section enrolled patients on three of the four separate phases of the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT) studying investigational therapeutics in COVID-19 inpatients presenting with respiratory compromise:
ACTT-1:  Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 
	This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous
remdesivir in adults hospitalized with Covid-19 with evidence of lower respiratory tract infection. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous remdesivir or placebo for up to 10 days. A total of 1062 patients underwent 1:1 randomization, with those receiving remdesivir having a median recovery time of 10 days as compared with 15 days among placebo recipients. Using an eight-category ordinal scale to measure outcomes, patients who received remdesivir were found to be more likely than placebo recipients to have clinical improvement at day 15. While the trial wasnt powered to show an effect on mortality, overall these data suggested that remdesivir was superior to placebo in shortening the time to recovery in hospitalized adults.
ACTT-2:  Baracitinib plus remdesivir for hospitalized adults with COVID-19
This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the JAK inhibitor baricitinib plus remdesivir in hospitalized adults with Covid-19. Patients received remdesivir (10 days) and either baricitinib (14 days) or placebo (control). A total of 1033 patients underwent 1:1 randomization, with those receiving baricitinib having a median time
to recovery of 7 days as compared with 8 days in control patients and having a 30% higher odds of improvement in clinical status at day 15. Patients receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive
ventilation at enrollment appeared to have the greatest benefit. From these data it was concluded that baricitinib plus remdesivir was superior to remdesivir alone in reducing recovery
time and accelerating improvement in clinical status among COVID-19 patients.
ACTT-4:  Baricitinib/remdesivir vs. dexamethasone/remdesivir.
As the fourth of the ACTT trials, this was a 1:1 randomized, double-blind comparison of the efficacy of baricitinib + remdesivir versus dexamethasone + remdesivir in patients receiving supplemental oxygen, with the primary outcome being their mechanical ventilation free survival by Day 29. Overall 1010 out of a desired 1500 patients were enrolled. However, Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) review of the futility analysis plan in April, 2021 determined that the study met pre-defined futility criteria, meaning that it would be unlikely for the study to show a significant difference in outcomes between the two arms if it were to continue to the full enrollment. From these results it was concluded that baracitinib should be considered an acceptable alternative to dexamethasone in treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
In addition to the ACTT trials, the section also participated in two other COVID-19-related clinical trials:  ITAC (INSIGHT 013) An International Multicenter, Adaptive, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Anti-Coronavirus Hyperimmune Intravenous Immunoglobulin for the Treatment of Adult Hospitalized Patients at Onset of Clinical Progression of COVID-19, and a phase II double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial study of the spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor fostamatinib in hospitalized adults with Covid-19 where patients receiving remdesivir and corticosteroids were randomized to receive either fostamatinib (up to 14 days) or placebo. The results of both studies have been published.
In collaboration with the Institut National pour la Recherche Biomedicale (INRB), the WHO, and several international partners, the Section was instrumental in helping design an investigational RCT of 4 different MCMs employed during the 10th outbreak of Ebola virus infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that began in August 2018. 693 patients were accrued in this landmark trial that ultimately established both the safety and efficacy of two different monoclonal antibody products (REGN-EB3 and Mab-114) in treating both adult and pediatric patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD), not only proving for the first time that effective treatment of EVD was possible but also establishing that important clinical research could be safely conducted in the midst of a public health crisis. Currently we are engaged in an effort to develop a means of independently validating which study participants did or did not receive prior vaccination with the Merck vaccine in order to analyze the effect of prior vaccination on disease outcome.
Launched in 2016, the Section is also continuing an ongoing pre-exposure vaccination protocol called PREPARE that is using VSVG-ZEBOV vaccine to immunize HCWs, BSL-4 Laboratory staff, and other at-risk personnel against Ebola virus infection. The protocol features 1:1 randomization to a homologous booster immunization at month 18 to determine whether the booster further augments antibody levels induced by the primary immunization as assessed at month 36. 233 patients have been enrolled and will provide the basis for the primary endpoint determination that should be completed within the next 6 months.
	As of summer 2022 the Section is also advising on the development and implementation of a placebo-controlled RCT studying the role of the antiviral drug tecovirimat (TPoxx) in treating cases of clade 1 Monkeypox infection at three centers in the DRC. With the recent outbreak of an increasing number of cases of clade 3 Monkeypox infections in the developed world, which was recently designated as a Public Health Emergency in the United States, domestically we are also collaborating with DMID and others in the design and implementation of a dose-sparing trial of the licensed JYNNEOS Monkeypox vaccine that is presently in limited supply in the Strategic National Stockpile.

Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><21+ years old><Acute><Adrenal Cortex Hormones><Adult><Adult Human><Africa><African><Antibodies><Antibody titer measurement><Antiviral Agents><Antiviral Drugs><Antivirals><Aves><Avian><Belgian Congo><Birds><Booster Immunization><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID infected patient><COVID pandemic><COVID patient><COVID positive patient><COVID-19><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 infected patient><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 patient><COVID-19 positive patient><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 therapeutics><COVID-19 therapy><COVID-19 treatment><COVID-19 virus><COVID19><COVID19 crisis><COVID19 epidemic><COVID19 global health crisis><COVID19 global pandemic><COVID19 health crisis><COVID19 pandemic><COVID19 patient><COVID19 positive patient><COVID19 public health crisis><COVID19 therapeutics><COVID19 therapy><COVID19 treatment><COVID19 virus><CV-19><CV19><Caring><Categories><Clinical><Clinical Research><Clinical Study><Clinical Treatment Moab><Clinical Trials><Clinical Trials Data Monitoring Committees><CoV emergence><CoV-2><CoV2><Collaborations><Communicable Diseases><Communities><Consensus><Containment><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Corticoids><Corticosteroids><Country><Data><Data Monitoring Committees><Data and Safety Monitoring Boards><Democratic Republic of the Congo><Development><Dexamethasone><Disease Outbreaks><Disease Outcome><Dose><Double-Blind Method><Double-Blind Study><Double-Blinded><Double-Masked Method><Double-Masked Study><Drugs><EBOV><Ebola><Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever><Ebola Virus Disease><Ebola disease><Ebola virus><Ebola-like Viruses><Emerging Communicable Diseases><Emerging Infectious Diseases><End Point Determination><Endpoint Determination><Enrollment><Epidemic><Experimental Therapies><Exposure to><Futility><GS-5734><Goals><Grippe><H1N1><H1N1 Virus><H5N1><H5N1 virus><H7N9><Health Care Providers><Health Personnel><Healthcare><Healthcare Providers><Healthcare worker><History><Human><Human Resources><IGIV><IV Immunoglobulins><IVIG><Immune globulin IV><Immunization><Immunize><Immunochemical Immunologic><Immunologic><Immunologic Sensitization><Immunologic Stimulation><Immunological><Immunological Sensitization><Immunological Stimulation><Immunologically><Immunologics><Immunostimulation><Immunotherapeutic agent><Infection><Infectious Agent><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Disorder><Influenza><Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype><Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype><Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype><Influenza B><Influenza B Virus><Influenza Virus><Influenza Viruses Type B><Inpatients><International><Intervention><Intervention Strategies><Intravenous><Intravenous Antibodies><Intravenous IG><Intravenous Immune Globulin><Intravenous Immunoglobulins><Investigation><Investigational Therapies><Investigational Treatments><Laboratories><Lead><Lower Respiratory Tract Infection><Lower respiratory infection><MERS corona virus><MERS coronavirus><MERS virus><MERS-CoV><MSM><Manpower><Measures><Mechanical ventilation><Medical><Medication><Microbiology><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Modern Man><Monkey Pox><Monkey Pox Virus><Monkeypox><Monkeypox virus><Monkeypoxvirus><Monoclonal Antibodies><Morbidity><Morbidity - disease rate><NIAID><NIH><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><National Institutes of Health><O element><O2 element><Orthomyxoviruses Type B><Outbreaks><Outcome><Outcome Measure><Oxygen><PTK Inhibitors><Participant><Patient Care><Patient Care Delivery><Patients><Pb element><Performance><Pharmaceutic Preparations><Pharmaceutical Preparations><Phase><Phase 2/3 trial><Phase II/III Trial><Placebo Control><Placebos><Population><PrEP><Preventative vaccine><Preventive vaccine><Prophylactic treatment><Prophylactic vaccine><Prophylaxis><Protein Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors><Protocol><Protocols documentation><Public Health><Publishing><Randomized><Randomized Clinical Trials><Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials><Recording of previous events><Recovery><Research><Risk><Role><SARS><SARS corona virus 2><SARS coronavirus disease><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV disease><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 infected patient><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 patient><SARS-CoV-2 positive patient><SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics><SARS-CoV-2 therapy><SARS-CoV-2 treatment><SARS-CoV2><SARS-CoV2 epidemic><SARS-CoV2 pandemic><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 therapeutics><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><SYK><SYK gene><Safety><Safety Monitoring Boards><Seasons><Secondary Immunization><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV disease><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus disease><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 therapeutics><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Sham Treatment><Spleen Tyrosine Kinase><TK Inhibitors><Testing><Therapeutic><Time><Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor><Tyrosine-Protein Kinase SYK><United States><United States National Institutes of Health><Vaccinated><Vaccination><Vaccines><Veklury><Viral Diseases><Virus><Virus Diseases><Wuhan coronavirus><ZEBOV><Zaire><Zaire Ebola virus><Zaire ebolavirus><adulthood><anti-viral agents><anti-viral compound><anti-viral drugs><anti-viral medication><anti-viral therapeutic><anti-virals><antibody titering><antiviral compound><antiviral medication><antiviral therapeutic><arm><avian influenza H5N1><avian influenza H5N1 virus><booster vaccination><child patients><clinical center><corona virus><corona virus disease 2019><corona virus disease 2019 epidemic><corona virus disease 2019 pandemic><corona virus emergence><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 infected patient><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 patient><coronavirus disease 2019 positive patient><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 therapeutics><coronavirus disease 2019 therapy><coronavirus disease 2019 treatment><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease infected patient><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease patient><coronavirus disease positive patient><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 patient><coronavirus disease-19 virus><coronavirus emergence><coronavirus infectious disease-19><coronavirus of pandemic concern><coronavirus of pandemic potential><coronavirus patient><coronavirus with pandemic potential><design><designing><developmental><double-blind placebo control trial><double-blind placebo controlled trial><double-masked controlled trial><drug/agent><ebolavirus><effective therapy><effective treatment><emergent CoV><emergent corona virus><emergent coronavirus><emerging CoV><emerging corona virus><emerging coronavirus><enroll><experimental therapeutic agents><experimental therapeutics><flu serotype><flu strain><flu subtype><flu viral strain><flu virus strain><hCoV19><health care><health care personnel><health care worker><health provider><health workforce><healthcare personnel><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><high risk><immune drugs><immune-based therapeutics><immunologic preparation><immunologic therapeutics><immunotherapeutics><immunotherapy agent><improved><infectious organism><influenza serotype><influenza strain><influenza subtype><influenza viral strain><influenza virus strain><influenzavirus><inhibitor><insight><interest><interventional strategy><mAbs><mechanical respiratory assist><mechanically ventilated><medical personnel><men who have sex with men><men who have sex with other men><mortality><nCoV><nCoV2><new CoV><new corona virus><new coronavirus><novel><novel CoV><novel corona virus><novel coronavirus><pandemic><pandemic coronavirus><pandemic disease><pandemic threat coronavirus><pathogen><patient infected with COVID><patient infected with COVID-19><patient infected with SARS-CoV-2><patient infected with coronavirus disease><patient infected with coronavirus disease 2019><patient infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><patient with COVID><patient with COVID-19><patient with COVID19><patient with SARS-CoV-2><patient with coronavirus disease><patient with coronavirus disease 2019><patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2><pediatric patients><personnel><placebo controlled><pre-clinical><pre-exposure prophylaxis><preclinical><prevent><preventing><primary end point><primary endpoint><primary outcome><public health emergency><randomisation><randomization><randomized control clinical trial><randomized placebo control trial><randomized placebo controlled trial><randomly assigned><remdesivir><respiratory><respiratory pathogen><seasonal flu><seasonal influenza><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive patient><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 therapy><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 treatment><sham therapy><social role><supplemental oxygen><therapeutics against COVID-19><therapeutics against COVID19><therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2><therapeutics against SARS-coronavirus-2><therapeutics against Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><therapeutics against coronavirus disease 2019><therapeutics for novel coronavirus><treat COVID-19><treat COVID19><treat SARS-CoV-2><treat coronavirus disease 2019><treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><treatment center><treatment provider><treatment strategy><treatment trial><vaccination protocol><vaccine protocol><ventilation><viral infection><virus infection><virus-induced disease>