Research Roundup: Dexamethasone; MRNA Vaccine; Levothyroxine
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is associated with diffuse lung damage. Glucocorticoids may modulate inflammation-mediated lung injury and thereby reduce progression to respiratory failure and death. In this controlled, open-label trial comparing a range of possible treatments in patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19, we randomly assigned patients to receive oral or intravenous dexamethasone (at a dose of 6 mg once daily) for up to 10 days or to receive usual care alone. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Here, we report the preliminary results of this comparison. (RECOVERY Collaborative Group, 7/17)
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 and spread globally, prompting an international effort to accelerate development of a vaccine. The candidate vaccine mRNA-1273 encodes the stabilized prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We conducted a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label trial including 45 healthy adults, 18 to 55 years of age, who received two vaccinations, 28 days apart, with mRNA-1273 in a dose of 25 渭g, 100 渭g, or 250 渭g. There were 15 participants in each dose group. (Jackson et al, 7/14)
In this randomized clinical trial that included 95 participants with subclinical hypothyroidism and acute myocardial infarction, treatment with levothyroxine, compared with placebo, did not significantly improve left ventricular ejection fraction after 52 weeks (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 53.8% vs 56.1%, respectively). (Jabbar et al, 7/21)