UCLA researchers are working to better understand COVID-19 in the hopes of preventing or shortening its course and decreasing illness severity. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs, remdesivir and bamlanivimab, for emergency use in treating COVID-19. As with all drugs, additional options will depend heavily on clinical trials.
Goals for coronavirus clinical trials at UCLA Health
Researchers are looking for volunteers for COVID-19-related research studies at UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. They hope to:
- Understand and harness the body’s natural immune response
- Study the virus, its effects and spread
- Discover and test potential lifesaving treatments for hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients
- Develop and test vaccines
Risks and benefits of participating in COVID-19 research
Trials of therapeutics or vaccines typically undergo three or four phases before being approved for use more broadly. To expedite the process, some of the phases for COVID-19 research can occur simultaneously.
Clinical trials are designed to ensure the safety of participants. There are risks and benefits of participating in a clinical trial:
Risks
In addition to potential unpleasant side effects, you might:
- Receive a placebo rather than the experimental treatment
- Not see benefit from the experimental treatment you receive
- Spend extra time at appointments or receiving care in the hospital
Benefits
Beyond receiving a helpful vaccine or treatment before others have access to it, you may:
- Help reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Have more frequent health check-ups because of your participation
- Receive assistance in accessing resources
COVID-19 clinical trials at UCLA Health
There are close to 300 registered COVID-19-related projects across UCLA Health. Research categories include:
- Treatment trials for hospitalized patients
- Compassionate use protocols for hospitalized patients
- Treatment trials for nonhospitalized patients
- Post-exposure prevention
- Pre-exposure prevention and vaccine trials
- Research opportunities for recovered COVID-19-positive patients
Examples of studies that are actively recruiting participants include:
ACTIV-2: A study for outpatients with COVID-19
This study looks at the safety and effectiveness of different drugs in treating COVID-19 in outpatients.
Phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled study of AZD1222 for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults
The study aims to assess the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity – the ability to invoke an immune response in the body – of a medication known as AZD1222 for the prevention of COVID-19.
A study to evaluate efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 vaccine
The study evaluates the efficacy and safety of the vaccine agent known as mRNA-1273 to prevent COVID-19 for up to two years after the second dose.
UCLA Health is looking for volunteers to participate in clinical research. View all available studies and inquire if interested.
