Earlier this year, Cancer Research UK announced it was taking part in a clinical trial to investigate whether a drug, typically used to treat pancreatitis in Japan and South Korea, could be used as an antiviral to treat Covid-19.
Covid-19
The Spike1 clinical trial is sponsored by Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development (CDD) and is being funded through the medical research charity LifeArc, whilst being run in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and biotech company Latus Therapeutics. The trial, which enrolled and treated its first patient last month, is an example of the collaborative efforts of charity, academia and industry, and also speaks to the way players in life sciences have had to adapt to Covid-19.
Here we speak to Dr Sarah Halford, head of Medical Sciences, Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development about the trial and its Covid-19 efforts.