The PAA pattern..., page-279

The Australasian COVID-19 Trial (ASCOT) is a randomised control trial that will initially test two treatments for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, using drugs that are currently used to treat HIV (lopinavir/ritonavir) and arthritis (hydroxychloroquine). Importantly, ASCOT uses an adaptive platform so therapeutics can be added or subtracted depending on performance. The trial will involve 2,500 patients in over 60 hospitals across the country, in every state and territory, alongside 12 hospitals in New Zealand. It will recruit patients hospitalised with COVID-19 who do not yet require intensive care support, with the aim of preventing deterioration to the point of needing a ventilator. An additional trial - the Randomised, Embedded, Multi-factorial, Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (REMAPCAP) - is another associated COVID-19 platform for evaluating the efficacy and safety of particular drugs in a clinical setting. The Doherty Institute is making a significant contribution to REMAPCAP.