First participant in global research study takes part at Leicester GP practice

A patient at a Leicester GP practice was the first in the world to take part in a global study to understand more about COVID-19 treatments.

The Willows Medical Centre, Leicester, supported the first global participant in the TACKLE research study, which is taking place at over 80 sites across the globe.

The study, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), aims to evaluate how treatments can help people who become infected with COVID-19 in order to prevent disease progression and reduce serious complications linked to the virus.

Researchers are using the study to explore whether a new drug developed by AstraZeneca can be used to safely treat adult outpatients and prevent severe COVID-19 disease.

Participants will be given a dose of either the new drug or a placebo, and then be monitored over the course of 12 months to understand the effectiveness of the treatment. Results from the study will be published in due course.

Professor Mohammed Roshan, Principal Investigator for the study in Leicester, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting this important study. Whilst research has already enabled us to make enormous progress in the effort to tackle the impact and spread of COVID-19, it is vital that we continue to search for new treatments so that we can improve outcomes for patients who contract the disease, and we are thrilled to be working with Professor Philippe Wilson and Professor Mike Hannay at the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility at Nottingham Trent University to deliver this trial.

“It is a source of great pride to us that the first participant in this global study took part at our practice. We know that members of the public share our determination to continue to find new treatments for COVID-19, and we are grateful to all of our patients for their support and involvement in research during the pandemic.”