Leflunomide for the Treatment of Severe COVID-19 in Patients With a Concurrent Malignancy
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-09-18
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This phase I/II trial investigates the best dose and side effects of leflunomide and how well
it works in treating patients with COVID-19 and a past or present cancer. Leflunomide has
been used since the 1990s as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Experiments done with
human cells that were given severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the
virus causing COVID-19, showed that leflunomide was able to reduce the ability of the virus
to make copies of itself. The coronavirus uses ribonucleic acid (RNA), a very long molecule
that contains genetic information that is like a blueprint for making more copies of itself.
Leflunomide inhibits the formation of RNA. The information gained from this study may help
researchers to learn whether leflunomide is safe for use in treating patients with COVID-19,
and whether it is potentially effective against the disease.