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Table 1 Trials for COVID-19 treatment

From: Analysis of clinical and methodological characteristics of early COVID-19 treatment clinical trials: so much work, so many lost opportunities

 

Pharmacotherapy

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells and NK cells

Advanced life-support strategies

Convalescent plasma and immunoglobulins

Others

Number of trials – no. (%)

349 (60)

92 (16)

39 (7)

27 (5)

35 (6)

44 (8)

Maximal inclusion age – no. (%)

 ≥ 65

115 (33)

56 (61)

26 (67)

10 (37)

12 (34)

17 (39)

 ≥ 80

61 (17)

26 (28)

7 (18)

9 (33)

6 (17)

6 (14)

Not specified or unknowna

228 (65)

32 (35)

12 (31)

17 (63)

20 (57)

27 (61)

Inclusion of severe COVID-19 – no. (%)

 Yes

174 (50)

23 (25)

28 (72)

16 (59)

22 (63)

16 (36)

 No

86 (25)

30 (33)

2 (5)

10 (37)

4 (11)

14 (32)

No information

89 (26)

39 (42)

9 (23)

1 (4)

9 (26)

14 (32)

Inclusion of critical COVID-19 – no. (%)

 Yes

70 (20)

3 (3)

12 (31)

17 (63)

16 (46)

8 (18)

 No

165 (47)

48 (52)

9 (23)

6 (22)

9 (26)

22 (50)

No information

114 (33)

41 (45)

18 (46)

4 (15)

10 (29)

14 (32)

Inclusion of participants with cancer – no. (%)

 Yes

15 (4)

3 (3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (2)

 No

49 (14)

31 (34)

27 (69)

3 (11)

4 (11)

11 (25)

No information

285 (82)

58 (63)

12 (31)

24 (89)

31 (89)

32 (73)

Inclusion of participants with COPD – no. (%)

 Yes

16 (5)

3 (3)

0 (0)

1 (4)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 No

31 (9)

31 (34)

7 (18)

3 (11)

3 (9)

6 (14)

No information

302 (87)

58 (63)

32 (82)

23 (85)

32 (91)

38 (86)

Inclusion of participants with diabetes – no. (%)

 Yes

16 (5)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (4)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 No

16 (5)

11 (12)

2 (5)

3 (11)

1 (3)

6 (14)

No information

317 (91)

81 (88)

37 (95)

23 (85)

34 (97)

38 (86)

Inclusion of participants with heart disease – no. (%)

 Yes

30 (9)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (2)

 No

52 (15)

23 (25)

3 (8)

1 (4)

4 (11)

5 (11)

No information

267 (77)

69 (75)

36 (92)

25 (93)

31 (89)

38 (86)

Inclusion of participants with hypertension – no. (%)

 Yes

19 (5)

2 (2)

0 (0)

1 (4)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 No

8 (2)

4 (4)

0 (0)

1 (4)

0 (0)

1 (2)

No information

322 (92)

86 (93)

39 (100)

25 (93)

35 (100)

43 (98)

Inclusion of immunocompromised participants – no. (%)

 Yes

9 (3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 No

82 (23)

27 (29)

13 (33)

2 (7)

5 (14)

9 (20)

No information

258 (74)

65 (71)

26 (67)

25 (93)

30 (86)

35 (80)

Main geographical locations – no. (%)

China 110 (32)

Single European country 103 (30)

United States 47 (13)

China 90 (98)

Single African country 1 (1)

No information 1 (1)

China 28 (72)

Single European country 6 (15)

Single American country 2 (5)

China 10 (37)

Single European country 9 (33)

United States 6 (22)

China 11 (31)

Single European country 9 (26)

United States 6 (17)

China 21 (48)

United States 8 (18)

Single European country 7 (16)

Primary endpoints used – no. (%)

 Mortality

43 (13)

7 (8)

3 (8)

8 (30)

9 (26)

5 (11)

 Clinical status (WHO Scales)

38 (11)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

2 (6)

3 (7)

 Length of hospitalization

14 (4)

8 (9)

2 (5)

2 (7)

2 (6)

3 (7)

Randomised trials – no. (%)

 Yes

275 (79)

49 (53)

19 (49)

13 (48)

16 (46)

26 (59)

 No

74 (21)

43 (47)

20 (51)

14 (52)

19 (54)

18 (41)

Multicentre trials – no. (%)

 Yes

129 (37)

37 (40)

11 (28)

6 (22)

13 (37)

15 (34)

 No

164 (47)

47 (51)

26 (67)

17 (63)

16 (46)

25 (57)

No information

56 (16)

8 (9)

2 (5)

4 (15)

6 (17)

4 (9)

Industry-funded – no. (%)

 Yes

73 (21)

12 (13)

9 (23)

2 (7)

6 (17)

7 (16)

 No

276 (79)

80 (87)

30 (77)

25 (93)

29 (83)

37 (84)

Median sample size calculated (IQR) – no.

123.5 (60–333)

120 (72–300)

30 (20–48)

44 (20–190.5)

50 (20–117.5)

70 (40–200)

Median expected trial duration (IQR) – days

181 (98.5–365)

155 (90–337)

314 (188–437.5)

217 (92–396)

214 (92–364)

262.5 (90–381.75)

  1. COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, IQR interquartile range
  2. Note: The sum of the columns is higher than 580 because some trials assess more than one intervention
  3. aMost of these trials (93%) specify a minimal inclusion age, without specifying a maximal inclusion age