IDI-led consortium CAPA-CT II, are the first to openly publish a method for quantifying remdesivir in blood.

IDI-led consortium publishes method for measuring experimental COVID-19 drug in blood

University of Turin investigators, partners on the IDI-led consortium CAPA-CT II, are the first to openly publish a method for quantifying remdesivir in blood. Remdesivir has recently received authorisation for emergency use in the US and European Union for patients with severe forms of COVID-19.

The method has been fully published in the July 01, 2020 edition of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and it was selected as an Editors Choice article. Turin investigators and collaborators from IDI and University of Liverpool reported on the use of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography assay to measure remdesivir and its active form in the blood.

Dr Lamorde, Project Coordinator of the CAPA-CT II consortium says “This tool will enable clinical researchers worldwide to better understand how this important drug works and how it may be affected by other drugs patients may be taking. We are excited because this is the first step in our efforts to conduct a study to understand how to ensure we use the right dose of remdesivir in patients that are already taking antiretroviral drugs“. Dr Lamorde and colleagues on the CAPA-CT II have an ethics approved protocol to investigate whether the quantity of remdesivir in patient blood samples is influenced by the presence of antiretroviral drugs.

The CAPA-CT II project is part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union