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The world’s largest clinical trial investigating treatments for COVID-19 has now launched in South Africa, with the first patient recruited today. This is the fifth country to take part in RECOVERY, joining Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom.

Pipette and test tubes

Since March 2020, the RECOVERY Trial has discovered three effective treatments for COVID-19: the inexpensive steroid dexamethasone; the arthritis drug tocilizumab; and a monoclonal antibody treatment, now known as Ronapreve. As the pandemic continues to affect both high and lower income countries, treatments are needed that are suitable for a wide range of patients and healthcare systems.

Sir Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, and Joint Chief Investigator of RECOVERY, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted that South Africa has joined RECOVERY. South African scientists, medical professionals and patients have already made an enormous contribution in the fight against COVID. By working together on RECOVERY we hope to further accelerate progress towards finding globally relevant solutions to this terrible disease.’

Read the full story on the University of Oxford website