AZD1656 in Diabetic Patients Hospitalised With Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19

The ARCADIA Trial will assess the safety and efficacy of AZD1656 in 150 patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who have been hospitalised with COVID-19. AZD1656 is a glucokinase (GK; hexokinase 4) activator which has been shown to reduce blood glucose for up to 4 months in humans. Diabetic patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 often present with hyperglycaemia and are particularly vulnerable to progression to severe COVID-19. Treatment with AZD1656 (in addition to their usual care) may provide additional glucose control which could help improve clinical outcomes in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic populations. In addition to its glucose lowering effect, AZD1656 may have additional benefits to COVID-19 patients via its effects on immune function. In many patients with severe COVID-19, an overreaction of the body's own immune system can cause severe problems including damage to the lungs and heart, which can lead to breathing problems necessitating intubation and ventilation. AZD1656 has been shown to activate the migration of T regulatory cells to sites of inflammation in preclinical experiments. This migration of Treg cells to inflamed tissue is crucial for their immune-modulatory function (Kishore et al (2017)). AZD1656 could enhance Treg migratory capacity and may prevent the development of cardiorespiratory complications observed in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, leading to lower requirements for oxygen therapy and assisted ventilation, and reduced incidences of pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Diabetic patients hospitalised with COVID-19 will be randomised to receive either AZD1656 tablets or placebo tablets on a 1:1 basis until they are discharged from hospital or until they require intubation/mechanical ventilation. The aim of the study is to determine whether AZD1656 improves clinical outcomes in diabetic patients hospitalised with COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) 8-point Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement will be used as the standard methodology for measuring patient outcomes.