NIH halts study of plasma in COVID-19 treatment citing lack of benefit (UPI)

March 2 (UPI) — Officials at the National Institutes of Health on Tuesday stopped an ongoing clinical trial evaluating the use convalescent plasma for treatment of severe COVID-19, due to lack of clear clinical benefit.

The trial, which focused on emergency-room patients with mild to moderate symptoms of infection, found the approach to be safe, the agency said.

However, the treatment, which relies on blood plasma collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, did not speed recovery or lead to a significant reduction in symptoms.

“The National Institutes of Health has halted a clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of … convalescent plasma in treating emergency department patients who developed mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement.

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