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Hope for long COVID treatment

breakthrough after study's 'really
positive' findings
Emerging data suggests the virus targets the mitochondria - the 'power generators'
inside our cells. Scientists say the experimental drug appears to improve overall
power output and a treatment for fatigue "may be in sight".

Thomas Moore
Science correspondent @SkyNewsThomas

Friday 14 April 2023 11:26, UK

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Those suffering with long COVID can experience a variety of symptoms, from fatigue to headaches, and brain fog

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An experimental drug could significantly reduce fatigue in people with

long COVID, a new study suggests.

Scientists who carried out the small-scale clinical trial believe the drug,
called AXA1125, may increase energy production in cells and reduce
inflammation for people fighting the virus and its aftereffects.

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They are calling for larger studies to confirm the findings.

While most people who catch COVID-19 typically only experience the
symptoms in the short term - the NHS says most people fully recover
within 12 weeks - for others, some symptoms persist for a long time. This
is known as long COVID.

As a new condition, long COVID is still not fully understood.

The COVID-19 virus is thought to tackle the mitochondria - the organelles in our cells responsible for giving us
energy - often leading to major fatigue

The researchers behind the new study, from the University of Oxford,
gave either the AXA1125 drug or a dummy placebo treatment to 41
patients twice a day for four weeks.

The early-stage, phase 2 study was 'double-blind' - so neither the

scientists nor the patients knew which they were given until the
research ended.

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Its results, published in Lancet eClinical Medicine, showed those who

received the experimental drug reported significantly improved levels of
fatigue.

They were also able to walk further than those given the placebo and
scans showed their mitochondria, the 'power generators' inside cells,
were more likely to be in better health - though this wasn't deemed
statistically significant.

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Associate Professor Betty Raman, the study's principal investigator,

said: "The reduction in patients' own reports of fatigue is really positive
news, and we hope that further work will help us understand the
underlying processes behind this improvement too.

"There is still some way to go in treating all patients with long COVID.

"Our results focus specifically on fatigue, rather than the

breathlessness and cardiovascular issues that other long COVID
patients have reported."

Read more:
How long COVID ruined my life, from crushing fatigue to brain fog
Most long COVID patients have organ damage a year later, study finds

According to the researchers, emerging data suggests the COVID virus

targets mitochondria.
 But the combination of five amino acids and an amino acid derivative
contained in AXA1125 appears to improve power output through
multiple biological pathways.

The trial, which was funded by the manufacturer of the drug, Axcella,
only looked at patients with clear signs that mitochondrial function had
been disturbed.

The effect of the medication on other symptoms of long COVID has yet
to be studied.

Margaret Koziel MD, the company's chief medical officer, said: "We are
encouraged by these results, and hope that a treatment for people who
suffer from long COVID fatigue may be in sight.

"We are energized to advance AXA1125 further towards being made

available to the millions of patients currently without treatment
options."

Nurses monitor patients on a COVID-19 ward at Milton Keynes University Hospital

 By the end of last year, more than 500 million cases of COVID-19 were
reported across the world.

According to Oxford University, up to 10% of people who caught the

virus are thought to be suffering from long COVID.

Fatigue is one of the main symptoms experienced by patients and there

is no approved treatment for the condition.

This study may change that if other researchers can replicate the
findings.

Eventually, sufferers could treat their symptoms with a drug like

AXA1125.

Related Topics

COVID-19

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