A pioneering clinical trial led by Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), in partnership with Inserm and the French Blood Establishment (EFS), will test plasma transfusions from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat those in critical condition. Experts aim to assess whether these antibodies can improve outcomes for severe cases.
Plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 is rich in antibodies that neutralize the virus. As detailed in an April 5, 2020 press release, the Coviplasm trial launches on April 7, 2020, across Île-de-France, Grand Est, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions.
Around 200 recovered donors, symptom-free for at least 14 days, will provide 600 ml of plasma via plasmapheresis, yielding 600 units of 200 ml plasma. The initial phase targets 60 patients, who will receive two units on day 6 of symptoms.
If no adverse effects occur, two additional units will follow one day later, for a total of four units per patient. Researchers will evaluate results two to three weeks post-transfusion.
Coviplasm forms part of the broader AP-HP CORIMUNO-19 study, which conducts rapid randomized controlled trials of immunomodulatory treatments for COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, EFS will collaborate with the Pasteur Institute and UMR IRD UVE 190 to perform seroprevalence studies among blood donors, helping monitor herd immunity and virus circulation nationwide.
This approach echoes efforts in China, where mid-February 2020 saw health authorities collect plasma from recovered patients to aid those with severe illness.
