Purpose

This is a prospective, multi-site study designed to evaluate whether the use of hydroxychloroquine in healthcare workers (HCW), Nursing Home Workers (NHW), first responders (FR), and Detroit Department of Transportation bus drivers (DDOT) in SE, Michigan, can prevent the acquisition, symptoms and clinical COVID-19 infection The primary objective of this study is to determine whether the use of daily or weekly oral hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy will prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 viremia and clinical COVID-19 infection healthcare workers (HCW) and first responders (FR) (EMS, Fire, Police, bus drivers) in Southeast Michigan. Preventing COVID-19 transmission to HCW, FR, and Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus drivers is a critical step in preserving the health care and first responder force, the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in health care facilities, with the potential to preserve thousands of lives in addition to sustaining health care systems and civil services both nationally and globally. If efficacious, further studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 in the general population could be undertaken, with a potential impact on hundreds of thousands of lives.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 75 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Participant is willing and able to provide informed consent. 2. Participant is 18-75 years of age. 3. Participant does not have symptoms of respiratory infection, including cough, fevers (temperature >38.0C), difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pains, malaise, myalgia, headaches, nausea or vomiting, or other symptoms associated with COVID-19. 4. Participant is willing to provide blood samples for the study. 5. Subject agrees to all aspects of the study. 6. The participant has no known allergies or contraindications (as stated in the consent form) to the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as noted in the exclusion criteria and Pharmacy sections.

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Does not meet inclusion criteria. 2. Participant unable or unwilling to provide informed consent. 3. Participant has any of the symptoms above or screens positive for possible COVID-19 disease. 4. Participant is currently enrolled in a study to evaluate an investigational drug. 5. Vulnerable populations deemed inappropriate for study by the site Principal Investigator. 6. The participant has a known allergy/hypersensitivity or has a medication or co-morbidity (including history of gastric bypass, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease or renal failure) that prevents the use of HCQ (see pharmacy section). 7. The participant is a woman of childbearing age whose pregnancy status is unknown and is not willing to use 2 methods of contraception. 8. The participant is pregnant or nursing. 9. The participant was diagnosed with retinopathy prior to study entry. 10. The participant has a diagnosis of porphyria prior to study entry. 11. The participant has renal failure with a creatinine clearance of <10 ml/min, pre-dialysis or requiring dialysis. 12. The Participant has a family history of Sudden Cardiac Death. 13. The participant is currently on diuretic therapy. 14. The participant has a history of known Prolonged QT Syndrome. 15. The participant is already taking any of the following medications: Abiraterone acetate, Agalsidase, Amodiaquine, Azithromycin, Conivaptan, Dabrafenib, Dacomitinib, Dapsone (Systemic), Digoxin, Enzalutamide, Fusidic Acid (Systemic), Idelalisib, Lanthanum, Lumefantrine, Mefloquine, Mifepristone, Mitotane, Pimozide, QT-prolonging Agents, Stiripentol).

Study Design

Phase
Phase 3
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
This is a prospective, multi-site study designed to evaluate whether the use of hydroxychloroquine in healthcare workers (HCW) and first responders (FR) in southeast (SE) Michigan, can prevent the acquisition, symptoms and clinical COVID-19 infection. The study will randomize a total of 3,000 Healthcare Workers and First Responders, age ≥18 years or older, through the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit COVID Consortium. The participants who meeting study entry criteria and are not on HCQ prior to study enrollment will be randomized in a 1:1:1 blinded comparison of daily or weekly oral hydroxychloroquine versus oral placebo for 8 weeks. A fourth non-randomized comparator group will be enrolled in the study comprising of HCW who are chronically on HCQ as part of their standard of care for their autoimmune disease(s). This will be an open enrollment group and will provide information of chronic weight-based daily therapy of HCQ effectiveness as a prophylactic/preventive strategy.
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator)
Masking Description
Blinded randomization will be performed by the Henry Ford Hospital Public Health Sciences investigators once the participants are determined to be eligible for enrollment. Randomization will be stratified by study site and risk of exposure based on location of work and type of work. Once enrolled, each Participant will be assigned a unique identifier (detailed in the full protocol). This number, along with the assigned site number, will constitute the Subject Identifier (Subject ID).

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Active Comparator
Study Drug - Daily Dose
The daily hydroxychloroquine treatment arm will receive a 200 mg oral dose daily following day 1 dose of 400 mg orally once. This dose represents approximately half the standard weight-based dosing recommended for management of autoimmune diseases and therefore less likely to produce side effects than standard of care.
  • Drug: Hydroxychloroquine - Daily Dosing
    The daily hydroxychloroquine treatment arm will receive a 200 mg oral dose daily following day 1 dose of 400 mg orally once. This dose represents approximately half the standard weight-based dosing recommended for management of autoimmune diseases and therefore less likely to produce side effects than standard of care. All treatment groups will receive placebo pills to have the patients take 2 pills a day.
    Other names:
    • Study Drug - Daily
    • Daily Oral Dosing
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Baseline
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Baseline Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 4
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 4 - Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 8
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 8 - Monitoring Visit
  • Other: Weekly Assessment
    Participants will be asked to contact the study team if COVID-19 infection is established at any time during the study. For study weeks 1,2,3,5,6 &7, Participants will receive a monitoring questionnaire to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects. These monitoring visits will be done by telephone and/or electronic encounters (virtual visits, email), whichever method the patient prefers to encourage adherence to the monitoring.
    Other names:
    • Monitoring Call
Active Comparator
Study Drug - Weekly Dose
The once weekly randomized treatment arm will receive the proposed dose of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of malaria is 6.5 mg/kg per dose (maximum of 400mg per dose) administered orally weekly on the same day of each week. This is based on the recommended dose for prophylaxis of malaria.
  • Drug: Hydroxychloroquine - Weekly Dosing
    The once weekly randomized treatment arm will receive the proposed dose of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of malaria is 6.5 mg/kg per dose (maximum of 400 mg per dose) administered orally weekly on the same day of each week. This is based on the recommended dose for prophylaxis of malaria All treatment groups will receive placebo pills to have the patients take 2 pills a day.
    Other names:
    • Weekly Oral Dosing
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Baseline
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Baseline Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 4
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 4 - Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 8
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 8 - Monitoring Visit
  • Other: Weekly Assessment
    Participants will be asked to contact the study team if COVID-19 infection is established at any time during the study. For study weeks 1,2,3,5,6 &7, Participants will receive a monitoring questionnaire to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects. These monitoring visits will be done by telephone and/or electronic encounters (virtual visits, email), whichever method the patient prefers to encourage adherence to the monitoring.
    Other names:
    • Monitoring Call
Active Comparator
Placebo
All treatment groups will receive placebo pills to have the patients take 2 pills a day. The randomized placebo arm will receive placebo pills made to resemble the daily dosing of HCQ. Similarly, the once a week treatment arm will receive placebo pills for the days not on HCQ medication.
  • Other: Placebo oral tablet
    Participants randomized to this arm will be provided with daily dosing of oral placebo to have the patients take 2 pills a day.. Participants will receive a monitoring phone call at 4 weeks post study entry to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and medication side effects. At week 8, participants will provide additional samples of whole blood. Additional studies will include serology, inflammatory and other disease associated markers. Clinical data and location of main work area will be collected.
    Other names:
    • Placebo
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Baseline
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Baseline Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 4
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 4 - Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 8
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 8 - Monitoring Visit
  • Other: Weekly Assessment
    Participants will be asked to contact the study team if COVID-19 infection is established at any time during the study. For study weeks 1,2,3,5,6 &7, Participants will receive a monitoring questionnaire to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects. These monitoring visits will be done by telephone and/or electronic encounters (virtual visits, email), whichever method the patient prefers to encourage adherence to the monitoring.
    Other names:
    • Monitoring Call
Active Comparator
Non-Randomized Active Comparator
A non-randomized comparator group will be enrolled in the study comprising of healthcare workers and first responders who are chronically on oral hydroxychloroquine as part of their standard of care for their autoimmune disease(s). This will be an open enrollment group and will provide information of chronic weight-based daily therapy of HCQ effectiveness as a prophylactic/preventive strategy.
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Baseline
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Baseline Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 4
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 4 - Monitoring Visit
  • Diagnostic Test: Monitoring Visit - Week 8
    Face-to-face monitoring visit to obtain monitoring questionnaires to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects, and collect study blood samples. Three (3) blood specimens will be collected from each Participant using the sterile procedure as routine standard of care. A total of five (5) 10 mL tubes of whole blood will be collected at each timepoint.
    Other names:
    • Week 8 - Monitoring Visit
  • Other: Weekly Assessment
    Participants will be asked to contact the study team if COVID-19 infection is established at any time during the study. For study weeks 1,2,3,5,6 &7, Participants will receive a monitoring questionnaire to assess for COVID-19 symptoms/diagnosis, adherence and medication side effects. These monitoring visits will be done by telephone and/or electronic encounters (virtual visits, email), whichever method the patient prefers to encourage adherence to the monitoring.
    Other names:
    • Monitoring Call

Recruiting Locations

More Details

NCT ID
NCT04341441
Status
Terminated
Sponsor
Henry Ford Health System

Detailed Description

The study will randomize a total of 3,000 HCW, NHW, FR and DDOT bus drivers within Henry Ford Hospital System, the Detroit COVID Consortium in Southeast, Michigan. The participants will be randomized in a 1:1:1 blinded comparison of daily HCQ, weekly HCQ, or placebo. A fourth non-randomized comparator group of HCW, NHW, DDOT bus drivers, and FR who are currently on standard HCQ therapy will be recruited to assess the impact of weightbased daily dosing of HCQ as compared to the randomized arms. Eligible participants who are asymptomatic for pre-specified signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection will have a whole blood specimen obtained at study entry. Participants will be provided with weekly dosing of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) 400mg po q weekly, daily dosing of HCQ 200mg po q daily following a loading dose of 400mg day 1, or placebo. Participants will receive monitoring at each study week visit to assess for the development of COVID-19 related symptoms, COVID-19 clinical disease, and medication side effects. At week 8 or if diagnosed positive, participants will provide additional samples of whole blood and complete the final study questionnaire. Data including demographic, clinical results, work duties, location of main work area and possible exposures in the community will be collected through questionnaires and EMR review. Disease-specific, immunologic, and other serologic marker data will be obtained from stored samples.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.