Sildenafil in COVID-19

Universidad Nacional Andres Bello

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2; Phase 1

Conditions: SARS-COV2 Infection; Covid19

Treatments: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Sildenafil

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04489446

UNAB-003

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomised trial aims to assess the role of sildenafil in improving oxygenation amongst hospitalised patients with COVID19.

Full description

Perfusion anomalies, namely hypoperfusion of healthy lung and vasoplegia with hyperperfusion of diseased lung areas, have been recently described amongst patients with COVID19. In this triple-blind pilot randomised trial, adult patients with high clinical suspicion of SARS-CoV2 infection and perfusion defects in a substraction computed tomography angiography will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive sildenafil or placebo. Informed consent will be obtained from every included participant. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation at baseline will be excluded, as will those who present a contraindication to sildenafil, previous users of sildenafil, those requiring therapy with nitrates, patients in which an order to limit therapeutic efforts has been issued, pregnant or breastfeeding women and those who decline to participate in this study. The primary outcome for this trial wil be oxygenation changes in blood gas analyses. Secondary outcomes will include clinical deterioration requiring admission to an intensive care unit, requirement of high-flow nasal cannula or invasive mechanical ventilation and overall survival. Patients will be followed-up until hospital discharge or up to fifteen days after randomisation. Statistical analyses will be undertaken by a statistician unaware of treatment allocation under the intention-to-treat principle.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult participant with high clinical suspicion of a SARS-CoV2 infection.
• Hypoperfusion of healthy lung areas in a substraction computed tomography angiography within 24 hours of admission to the hospital.

Exclusion criteria

• Requirement of therapy with nitrates of nitrites
• Arterial hypotension at presentation
• Recent diagnosis of coronary artery disease (<6 months)
• Acute heart failure at presentation
• Recent stroke (< 6 months)
• Chronic respiratory failure with CO2 retention
• Known hypersensitivity to sildenafil
• Advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh class B or higher)
• Users of cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors (Erythromycin, Ketoconazole, Itraconazole, Saquinavir)
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Chronic users of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors
• Requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline
• Decision to limit therapeutic efforts at baseline
• Pregnancy or lactation
• History of retinitis pigmentosa
• Known obstruction to left-ventricular outflow tract
• Unwillingness to participate in the trial

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Sildenafil

Experimental group

Description:

Patients allocated to this arm will receive Sildenafil 25mg every 8 hours orally for up to seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Drug: Sildenafil

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Patients allocated to this arm will receive a placebo that will be similar in form to sildenafil pills in the interventional arm. These doses will be scheduled every 8 hours and wil be administered orally por up to seven consecutive days.

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo