KMBC: Worldwide clinical drug trial for COVID-19 led by a doctor at Saint Luke's

In the search for a treatment for COVID-19, there is a worldwide clinical drug trial led by a doctor at Saint Luke's. Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod, of Saint Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute, is the principal investigator in a new clinical trial of the drug, often referred to as DAPA.

"The idea is you protect the vital organs, you prevent the disease from becoming more severe and thereby prevent development of severe complications and death. That's the premise behind the study," Kosiborod said.

The worldwide clinical trial will involve 900 COVID-19 patients, including some already enrolled in Kansas City. Each of the patients is currently hospitalized with the virus but not critical enough to be in the intensive care unit.

Kosiborod said the start-up time for this research is the fastest he's ever seen because the need is so urgent.

"The pandemic and the crisis is on everybody's mind and everybody in the scientific community, including clinical scientists like myself, want to get answers as quickly as possible," said Kosiborod. 

Once all 900 patients are enrolled, the follow-up period is 30 days. If DAPA proves to be safe and effective against the virus, researchers believe it could still be approved for use during this pandemic.