Over the next several months, Dresden Family Health Center will be holding a clinical study brought to them by Dr. Don McNeil of Optimed Research in Columbus. Dr. McNeil has been doing clinical research for the past 25 years and is currently conducting what is called the EVADE Study. He is also a family allergy physician practicing at Dresden Family Health Center.
The EVADE Study is testing an investigational medicine to see if it can safely help prevent the development of COVID-19. This is not a vaccine study. Vaccines are one way to help prevent COVID-19, but they may not be right for or available to everyone. This study is looking for other potential ways to prevent COVID-19.
The study is for adults ages 18 and older and adolescents from 12 to 18 who are at risk of developing COVID-19 due to their job, housing situation, or lifestyle or have recently been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
The clinical trial lasts 14 months and during that time the participants will have six visits to the office and two phone calls for tests and health checks. It may be possible for some visits to take place at your home.
There are three parts to the study, part one can last up to 14 days and includes one visit. Part two the treatment is only one day and can even take place during your screening visit. Part three the follow-up, can last up to 14 months with four visits and two phone calls.
If you are eligible for the study you will be put into one of two groups. Group one will receive the investigational medicine, while group two receives a placebo. A placebo is an injection that looks like the investigational, medicine but contains no active medicine just a saline solution. The two groups will be closely monitored and compared to see the effects of investigational medicine.
Participation is voluntary, and if you decide to join, you can leave the study at any time. You may or may not directly benefit from participating in the study, but the information gathered could help others at risk for COVID-19 in the future.
The EVADE study is currently in phase III. Phase III studies are randomized controlled multicenter trials on large patient groups (300–3,000 or more depending upon the disease/medical condition studied) and are aimed at being the definitive assessment of how effective the drug is, in comparison with the current ‘gold standard’ treatment.
For more information on the study or to become a participant call Dresden Family Health Center at 740-754-2671. Please note, that to be a participant you must NOT have had the COVID vaccine.
