Camostat has a proven safety record because it's already used to treat patients with chronic pancreatitis, a disease that causes severe pain because of an inflamed pancreas. This meant it could proceed straight to a phase III clinical trial, to see if it is effective against COVID-19.
The trial will take place in the community, recruiting people with symptoms of COVID-19 that don't yet need hospital care. Those receiving treatment will take daily doses of the tablet and all patients will be assessed daily by telephone and self-report their temperature and blood oxygen levels. The objective of the trial is to see if taking camostat early after COVID-19 symptoms begin can stop the infection from getting worse, reducing the need to go to hospital.
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."
