The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists and the British Pharmacological Society have published a joint international statement calling on researchers to apply clinical pharmacology principles in search for safe and effective treatments for COVID-19. The statement was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and endorsed by international organisations* across the world.
The statement welcomes international efforts to safely expedite clinical trials in the search for a treatment. However, it cautions that many studies do not include the information that is needed to safely translate a promising treatment from research to clinical practice. It sets out five principles that are intended to give research efforts the best chance of success to identify potential treatments:
- The drug must work against the virus in cells or animal models at doses which are relevant for humans
- The amount of drug reaching the cells and organs affected by the virus must be adequate to either kill the virus and/or reduce inflammation.
- There needs to be a good understanding of how the virus infects and multiplies within the body and how this relates to the clinical features of COVID-19.
- The information from the above 3 principles should be used to define the optimal doses and duration of therapy (or therapies when more than one drug is used).
- Well-designed trials must be undertaken to show that the drug works in treating the disease and is safe.