The international PIONEER study, which is led by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and supported by its charity, CW+, is trialling favipiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 and has now completed recruitment with 502 patients.

Other partners include the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College, and Neat ID.

Professor Pallav Shah, the principal investigator for the UK arm of the trial at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are delighted to announce the completion of patient recruitment in the PIONEER clinical trial. Thank you to all our partners who are working across two continents on this all-important study to develop antiviral strategies to treat patients with COVID-19.  The results of this international effort will be available in due course.”

Around half the patients come from Europe and half from South America.

Philanthropic funding has been instrumental in establishing the PIONEER study, with generous support coming from independent medical charity LifeArc, XTX Markets and Ageas, and a broad community of individual donors.

Notes to Editors:

Fujifilm Toyama Chemicals has provided its medication favipiravir, to be used in the trial, as well as the relevant safety and other information required to obtain the official approvals, necessary to start the trial. Neither they nor any charitable donor is involved in the design, methodology or conduct of the trial, nor have they any involvement in announcement of the results.