Asthma drug could help treat COVID-19: QUT researcher

Brisbane researchers are spearheading a global trial of a common asthma inhaler which may help treat coronavirus.

BRISBANE researchers are working on a global study into whether a common asthma drug can help treat COVID-19.

QUT mathematician and physician Dan Nicolau is working with the University of Oxford on a British clinical trial to test a common asthma inhaler.

Associate Professor Nicolau is a lead researcher in the STOIC (STerOids In COVID-19) trial, which is investigating if giving inhalers given to people with early stage COVID-19 can slow the progression of the disease.

Some patients would be given the a drug called budesonide, while others would receive a placebo.

Budesonide is an inexpensive, widely prescribed inhaler medication used by people with asthma to prevent and control symptoms.

It works by reducing irritation and inflammation of the lungs and airways.

Recruitment of patients for the trial has already begun. Dr Nicolau said about 500 patients were needed.

Dr Nicolau and the QUT team, including honours student Alexander Hasson, will be co-ordinating trial data analysis and building COVID-19 mathematical models to optimise patient treatment.

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Associate Professor Nicolau said he and Professor Bafahdel, a respiratory physician and mentor since his medical studies at Oxford, had noticed early on in the pandemic that people with asthma and the chronic lung disease COPD were less likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 infections.

“This seemed paradoxical because COVID-19 affects the lungs – and these patients have lung problems – so they should be more at risk of severe disease from the virus,” he said.

“One explanation for the low numbers was that something these people were doing regularly was protecting them and that, logically, was that they routinely used inhalers for their chronic lung problems.

“Ideally it may be that the corticosteroid therapy would be given to anyone with a new, dry cough, and while they are awaiting their COVID test results.”

Associate Professor Nicolau said mathematical modelling by the STOIC study team suggests that “the earlier we apply the inhaled steroid treatment the more people we’ll be able to keep from getting sick”.

University of Oxford researchers recently released promising preliminary results from a separate RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial of another corticosteroid, dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone, which is taken by mouth rather than inhaled, is used to treat a range of inflammatory-related conditions including allergies, arthritis and severe asthma.

Early data from the RECOVERY trial reported that the drug reduced deaths by one-third among COVID-19 patients who were on ventilators in intensive care units.