A Randomized Study to Investigate the Effect of Intravenous Imatinib on the Amount of Oxygen in the Lungs and Blood of Adults With COVID-19 Needing Mechanical Ventilation and Supportive Care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the number of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a severe, life-threatening medical condition characterised by inflammation and fluid in the lungs. There is no proven therapy to reduce fluid leak, also known as pulmonary oedema, in ARDS. However, recent studies have discovered that imatinib prevents fluid leak in the lungs in inflammatory conditions, while leaving the immune response intact. Adding imatinib into the standard care package may, therefore, decrease mortality and reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation compared with standard care alone, in critically-ill patients with COVID-19. To help determine the impact of imatinib in these patients we present a randomised, double-blind, multi-centre, 2-arm, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical study of intravenous imatinib in 84 mechanically-ventilated, adult subjects with COVID-19-related ARDS. Study participants (patients who have consented into the study) will receive the study drug (imatinib or placebo) twice daily for a period of 10 days. The effect of the intervention will be tested by measuring the change from baseline in the Oxygen Saturation Index (OSI) at day 10. OSI is a non-invasive means of measuring oxygenation and is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with ARDS, serving thus as a relevant endpoint from which to assess the efficacy of imatinib. Other measurements will include regular blood tests as part of safety assessments. Time on ventilation and morbidity and mortality will be recorded as secondary outcome measures. Blood tests will also allow the investigation of the pharmacokinetic properties of imatinib, as well as biomarkers of inflammation.