NCT04397328

COVID-19 PEP- High-risk Individuals in Long-term and Specialized Care - Canada

Safety and Efficacy of Post-exposure Prophylaxis With Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the Prevention of COVID-19 in High-risk Older Individuals in Long-term and Specialized Care: A Double-blind Randomized Control Trial

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Older adults are at the highest risk of complications and severe illness for 2019-nCoV infections. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an emerging chemoprophylaxis, which holds clinical and mechanistic plausibility, will help to reduce disease incidence and mitigate disease severity across in-patient settings. This study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of post-exposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the prevention of Coronavirus Infectious Disease-19 (COVID-19) in high-risk older individuals in long-term and specialized care.

Detailed description

Rationale: HCQ blocks SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells in vitro, and it also has immunomodulatory effects; therefore, it may be effective in reducing viral presence and inhibiting immunopathological mechanisms of COVID-19 in patients if administered before manifestation of clinical symptoms. Hypothesis: the investigators hypothesize that prophylactic HCQ treatment in high-risk individuals Long Term Care (LTC) and Specialized Care (SC) settings post confirmed exposure to SARS-CoV-2 will reduce morbidity and mortality to COVID-19 via a) reduced viral presence during the acute phase of the infection, and b) inducing protective immune cell populations, c) reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood. Objectives: Test if HCQ can prevent the development of COVID-19 in high-risk individuals in institutions which provide LTC or SC after known accidental exposure to the SARS-CoV-2. Test if early presumptive therapy in asymptomatic high-risk individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 can limit disease progression and acute care hospitalization. Study drug or placebo initiated after exposure, but before symptoms of elevated temperature, cough, or shortness of breath. If the exposed patients developed respiratory symptoms, specifically fever, cough or dyspnea, the blinded treatment will be continued and usual supportive care added as per clinician preference. If antiviral or immunomodulatory therapy is recommended, the patient treatment allocation will be unblinded, and treatment may be administered as per clinician preference with consideration of locally available agents. Safety will be closely monitored during the study conduct with safety labs and 6 lead ECGs at baseline, day 2, 5, 12, and 19

Conditions

• COVID-19

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Hydroxychloroquine	Hydroxychloroquine vs placebo (1:1 design) double blind intervention
DRUG	Placebo	Hydroxychloroquine vs placebo (1:1 design) double blind intervention

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-05-30
• Primary completion: 2021-04-30
• Completion: 2021-04-30
• First posted: 2020-05-21
• Last updated: 2025-09-15