Aspirin to be tested as potential COVID-19 drug in UK study

[November 06, 2020]  (Reuters) - Aspirin, a drug commonly used as a blood thinner, will now be evaluated as a possible treatment for COVID-19 in one of UK's biggest trials looking into a range of potential treatments for the illness.

Patients infected by the novel coronavirus are at a higher risk of blood clots because of hyper-reactive platelets, the cell fragments that help stop bleeding. Aspirin is an antiplatelet agent and can reduce the risk of clots, the RECOVERY trial's website said on Friday.

"There is a clear rationale for believing that it (aspirin) might be beneficial, and it is safe, inexpensive and widely available," said Peter Horby, co-chief investigator of the trial. (https://bit.ly/3mVr56o)
 

At least 2,000 patients are expected to randomly get 150 mg of aspirin daily along with the usual regimen. Data from those patients will be compared with at least 2,000 other patients who receive the standard-of-care on its own, the website showed.

Other treatments being tested in the RECOVERY trial include common antibiotic azithromycin and Regeneron's <REGN.O> antibody cocktail that was used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump's COVID-19 symptoms.

(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)

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