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Coronavirus: Isle Of Wight NHS Trust Contributes To 'Breakthrough' Drug Trial

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has been involved in a clinical drug trial that has been hailed an 'astounding breakthrough' by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

This week the Department of Health and Social Care has rolled out a drug proven to reduce mortality by over one third in patients with COVID-19.

St. Mary’s hospital in Newport was one of the NHS Trusts across the UK that led on the COVID-19 RECOVERY clinical trial into the drug called dexamethasone.

Alastair Flowerdew, Medical Director at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust said:

“The Isle of Wight NHS Trust was part of the clinical trial for dexamethasone and today brings good news as this drug has been found to show positive results for hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Patients on the Island have contributed to this outcome, having access to this medicine which has shown signs of being effective in COVID-19 recovery.

“This is great news for our Island Community and a testament to the Trust’s staff in implementing new approaches to treatment during very challenging times.”

The clinical trial, known as ‘RECOVERY Trial’ is an adaptive randomised controlled clinical trial that was set up purely to identify treatment options for patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust opened this trial in mid-April with a number of patients recruited and randomised into it.

Alastair Flowerdew added:

“Opening this trial has only been possible due to a continued collaboration of teams within the Trust’s Pharmacy Department, Intensive Therapy Unit, Research Department and Medical Admissions Unit.”

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