University manages UK’s first trial into potential for anti-viral drug to treat long COVID

The ERASE project is being managed by a team from the University’s Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit
COVID-19

The University of Plymouth is part of a groundbreaking project looking to find an effective treatment for the symptoms of long COVID.
It is estimated that over two million people in the UK, and more than 144 million globally, are living with long COVID and almost a quarter of sufferers have experienced symptoms such as extreme fatigue and breathlessness, palpitations, and brain fog for more than two years.
The ERASE – long COVID trial, launched in September 2024 and led by the University of Derby, is the first of its kind in the UK, exploring whether anti-viral medications can be used as a treatment option for patients diagnosed with the condition.
The anti-viral medication being trialled is already used to treat people admitted to hospital with COVID-19, but as most people are not hospitalised with the condition, they do not have a way to access this medication.
This trial, involving 72 patients living with long COVID, will investigate whether it can alleviate some of the symptoms that people are living with.
The ERASE study is being managed by the Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit (PenCTU) at the University of Plymouth.
It has almost two decades of experience managing clinical trials, including drug trials and other medical interventions, with the PenCTU team supporting researchers throughout the development and delivery of this new project.
They will also ensure the data generated through it are gathered and managed appropriately, so they can be used to inform the design of a larger future trial.

Clinical trials units play an essential role in the testing of emerging medical treatments or interventions, and enabling them to be validated for use in clinical and community settings.

For almost 20 years, we have worked on trials linked to everything from dietary interventions and liver disease, to brain tumours and neurological conditions. As is the case with many of the conditions we work on, there is a lack of effective treatments available to people with long COVID, which highlights the importance of the ERASE trial and any outcomes it might deliver.

Victoria AllgarProfessor Victoria Allgar
Director of the Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit

The impact long COVID has on the lives of patients is huge. For many, it can be debilitating, interfering with work, family life, and socialising, and millions are suffering across the world. Yet, at present, there are no confirmed treatments for the condition. Five years on from the start of the pandemic, long COVID remains a significant health and societal challenge, which is why this project is so important.

Mark Faghy
Professor in Clinical Exercise Science at the University of Derby and lead of the ERASE project 

Exploring potential treatments for long-COVID:

Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit. (PenCTU) Experts in designing, developing, supporting and co-ordinating high-quality clinical trials and other well-designed studies.
 

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