RE: g l e n14 Apr 2020 10:01
Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said on Tuesday that it would start a clinical trial on Calquence, which is aimed at treating the exaggerated immune response associated with COVID-19 infection caused by the coronavirus.
Calquence is an inhibitor of the enzyme Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK), which is a key part of the B-cell receptor signalling pathway, and is currently used to treat certain types of blood cancers.
The goal of the trial, called CALVARI, is to assess the effectiveness and safety of adding the drug to best supportive care (BSC) for patients afflicted with the coronavirus and help reduce mortality and the need for assisted ventilation.
“With this trial we are responding to the novel insights of the scientific community and hope to demonstrate that adding Calquence to best supportive care reduces the need to place patients on ventilators and improves their chances of survival. This is the fastest launch of any clinical trial in the history of AstraZeneca,” said José Baselga, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D.