Publish date: 01 May 2020

The 24 include trials of antiviral and immune modifying drugs, studies aiming to better understand the disease, and data initiatives analysing clinical information to improve treatment.

The Joint Research Office has set up a large number of studies while at the same time rapidly putting measures in place to pause existing studies. All other studies unless they involve treatment essential for serious of life-threatening conditions have been paused.

The UCLH Research Directorate’s Covid-19 Response Group continues to fast-track approvals and funding.

Last weekend, staff at the Joint Research Office succeeded in setting up a Covid-19 research study in just a matter of hours – a process that can be protracted because of how complex studies can be.

The COVACTA study, led by Dr Claire Roddie, is looking at whether tocilizumab developed by Roche can dampen the overactive immune response seen in some Covid-19 patients.

Dr Nick McNally, Managing Director of Research at UCLH, said: “I want to pay tribute to the commitment and dedication shown by the JRO since the outbreak of the pandemic. The dedication they have shown has been critical to all the research we have been able to do at this time.”