Julie Steenhuysen and Jennifer Rigby

(Reuters) – After producing treatments and vaccines for acute COVID-19 in record times, drugmakers and researchers are now focusing on long COVID. This more difficult target is marked by hundreds and thousands of symptoms that affect millions. Five scientists from the UK and the United States told Reuters that the top drugmakers have begun discussions with researchers to find a way to treat the disease. GlaxoSmithKline, Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ 🙂 and Humanigen all confirmed that they have spoken with researchers about trials using current treatment against COVID. Other companies include Pfizer Roche and (NYSE:) Roche indicated that they were interested, but did not provide details. According to researchers, experts in biotech and public health, major pharmaceutical companies play a crucial role in finding a treatment that works for this disease. It currently affects over 100 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Amitava Banerjee is a leader researcher in a COVID trial.

A long COVID is defined as a condition that has symptoms lasting more than three months. There are around 200 reported cases of fatigue, brain fog and chest pain. This condition affects anyone who has suffered from both mild or severe COVID-19. It is believed to affect 1-in-7 adults of working age in the United States. Sandi Zack (53), a former teacher in the Atlanta region, has described severe fatigue, dizziness and pain, as well as heart palpitations, since December 2020 when she was diagnosed with COVID. Sandi Zack has tried many drugs, and sought out help from specialists.

“We’re all still out here,” she said. “Hoping, and waiting.” There are fewer than 20 clinical trials underway testing drugs, a handful of which have moved beyond early stages, according to interviews with more than a dozen independent and government-backed scientists and a Reuters review of a global clinical trials database.

Scientists believe their research could uncover long COVID’s causes. It is an obstacle to finding potential targets for new medicines or discovering existing drugs that might work. “We are getting to the stage where we are getting traction, and for people suffering, we are getting treatments tested,” said David Strain, a University of Exeter Medical School lecturer whose research has informed which treatments will be tested in a major British trial. “Hopefully we will have things we can we offer them to get their lives back to normal in the near future.” Big pharmaceutical companies are looking for disease-specific biomarkers that would allow them to assess the value of tested medicines, experts say. “What they’re struggling with is a case definition for long COVID,” said Dr. Amy Proal, an expert in post-viral diseases at the PolyBio Research Foundation in Mercer Island, Washington. Two venture capital companies and one pharmaceutical company have been in contact with her, Proal said. Researchers are investigating possible causes such as damage from the initial infection and residual viruses. They also consider an autoimmune reaction in which the immune system targets its own cells. This is a disordered immune response that results in excessive inflammation, which damages blood vessels and nerves. They believe it could also be caused by other factors.

SEARCHING FOR A CURE OR FUNDING

University College London will lead a major UK-funded study that will examine four treatments for 4,500 long COVID sufferers.

They include antihistamines loratadine and famotidine, the gout and heart inflammation treatment colchichine – all available as generics – and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:)’s blood clot preventer Xarelto (rivaroxaban). 

The data suggests that all have preliminary evidence from people showing they can work against inflammation and blood-clots, which could be long COVID targets.

Banerjee is the principal researcher for this trial. She said that drugs will target several possible underlying mechanisms to long-term COVID, while also seeking more information about these.

“It’s challenging, because we’re going for a hazy target,” he said in a phone interview. “People on the industry side are trying to figure it out too.”

Axcella Therapeutics in the U.S. is working together with Oxford University on nonalcoholic steathohepatitis, which is a form of liver disease that causes inflammation, scarring and dysregulated metabolism.

Long COVID is a condition in which the drug may restore normal mitochondria function – cells’ energy factories. Patients suffering from long-term fatigue may be experiencing poor mitochondria function.

Lead researcher, Dr. Betty Raman, stated that if COVID has damaged the battery the drug will restore it so the cells can continue to perform normal functions.

PureTech Health in the U.S. is conducting a trial of an experimental pulmonaryfibrosis treatment. The goal is to prevent long-term lung scarring due to COVID.

Seattle researchers from the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson COVID Clinical Research Center and Resolve Therapeutics are currently testing a new treatment for fatigue among long COVID patients.

According to Dr. James Andrews (a University of Washington rheumatologist), the drug dissolves certain RNA found in blood. This has been associated with an increase in inflammation among patients suffering from autoimmune diseases like Lupus or Sjogren’s syndrome.

Long COVID might be caused by lingering viruses. Scientists are eager to see if existing COVID-19 vaccines or treatments can have any impact.

Moderna The company announced in an email that it is giving its vaccine to the UK for trials, in order to determine if the vaccine can kickstart the immune system or ease the long-term COVID symptoms.

For some businesses, funding has proved difficult.

Berlin Cures Holding AG is a German biotech that secured just enough funds to conduct the initial testing for its anti-autoimmune drug. It was previously prescribed for heart disease. However, it has been shown promising results in experimental patients.

“People call us and they cry on the phone,” Chief Operating Officer Peter Goettel told Reuters. “Some people want to sell their house to give us donations, just to get a shot.”