RCHT led the way in groundbreaking SUPERNOVA trial

The SUPERNOVA trial has published its results. The important research investigated a drug called sipavibart to determine if it could protect immunocompromised individuals from COVID-19 infection and severe illness.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT) was a top recruiter to the phase 3 trial in the UK. It was one of 197 trial sites across 18 countries, contributing to the enrolment of over 3,000 participants.

Participants in the study were randomly assigned to receive either sipavibart or a placebo in a double-blinded trial. The results demonstrated that sipavibart, an anti-COVID antibody, moderately reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 in individuals with various immunocompromising conditions during a period when susceptible variants were prevalent. The safety profile of sipavibart was deemed acceptable.  The analysis revealed that variants resistant to sipavibart were dominant at the time, limiting its current clinical use. This finding shows the ongoing challenges in developing effective medications to prevent COVID-19.

At RCHT, the study was run across multiple disease areas for immunocompromised patients. Collaborative working across the wider R and D teams and consultants was key to the successful delivery of this study.

Dr David Tucker, the Principal Investigator at RCHT, also co-authored the publication in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.  He said that thanks to the participation of patients and the hard work of the RCHT Research Department, this trial has helped us to understand the safety and effectiveness of an anti-COVID antibody as an additional weapon against COVID-19 in the immunocompromised population. Read the full results here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00804-1/fulltext