The James Paget Research team have recently signed up their 170th patient for the national RECOVERY Covid-19 research project.
Since March 2020 the team has been concentrating on COVID-19 research projects, recruiting in-patients, members of our local community and our staff to a number of urgent public health studies, including two with national prominence – RECOVERY and ReMAP-CAP.
The team at our Trust, along with others at acute hospitals around the country, mobilised quickly to get studies open and running and our team have now recruited the 170th patient into the RECOVERY project. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), has already reported outcomes for some of the drugs being trialled, including the breakthrough news that Dexamethasone, a low cost drug, can significantly improve the outcomes for patients who require mechanical ventilation or oxygen support.
Increasing numbers of patients being admitted with COVID-19 has meant that recruitment to the study has ramped up significantly over the last few weeks.
Jean Patrick, Principal Investigator for the study at the James Paget, said; “Our recruitment numbers to the RECOVERY trial is a testimony to the ongoing hard work of our research team during these difficult times. The effort put into the recruitment process by physician associate Matthew Whelband and the research nurses is nothing short of extraordinary.
“As the number of COVID-19 admissions increases it is important that we continue to contribute to this landmark study which will make a difference to how we treat this disease.”
Last week also saw the publication of results from the NIHR-supported ReMAP-CAP study indicating that Tocilizumab, a drug used in Rheumatoid Arthritis, reduces the length of stay of the sickest patients in critical care.
Karen Eade, Head of Research said; “It has been an absolute privilege to work on the RECOVERY and ReMAP-CAP studies and the team has been very proud to contribute to trials which have reported positive results that have been so quickly implemented in practice. It is heartwarming to know that the work that we have done at JPUH has contributed to saving patient lives.”
Over the last 10 months the JPUH team of Doctors, Nurses, Physician Associates and research support staff have recruited in excess of 2,200 people to 12 COVID-19 related studies, including over 1,000 participants on a study looking at the Psychological Impact of Coronavirus.
Professor Ben Burton, Clinical Director for Research & Development, said; “I’d like to say a big thank you to all of our participants. It can be a big decision to take part in a research study but without willing volunteers we would not have seen the advances in treatment that have now been put into practice.”
In November 2020 Research Nurses from JPUH also supported the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital research team, based at the Quadram Institute Bioresource, to assist with administering the Novavax vaccine to over 500 clinical trial participants, and more than 200 members of staff at the James Paget are currently taking part in the Public Health England SIREN study.
Published on 14 January, the first report from SIREN found antibodies from past COVID-19 infection provide 83% protection against reinfection for at least five months, but that people may still carry and transmit the virus. Since June 2020, the ongoing study has seen the regular testing of more than 20,000 health care workers, from 102 NHS trusts across the UK, for new COVID-19 infections and the presence of antibodies.