Skip to content

Leflunomide in Mild COVID-19 Patients

Leflunomide for the Treatment of Ambulatory Patients With Mild COVID-19

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04361214
Enrollment
11
Registered
2020-04-24
Start date
2020-05-05
Completion date
2022-01-31
Last updated
2024-02-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

COVID-19

Keywords

leflunomide

Brief summary

This study aims to examine the tolerability of high dose of leflunomide in patients with COVID-19 who are being managed in the outpatient setting.

Detailed description

This is a single are and single-center tolerability study of high dose leflunomide therapy in outpatient adult participants with mild COVID-19. In vitro studies have shown antiviral effects of leflunomide against SARS CoV-2, but the clinical outcomes in the disease have been variable. Our hypothesis is that targeting high risk patients earlier in the disease course and with a higher dose regimen are both required to see improvement in disease outcome measures in COVID-19. This study aims to prove the tolerability of high dose leflunomide in this setting. Patients are selected based on identification of mild COVID-19 symptoms. Investigators will enroll twenty patients and perform a detailed Tele-helath interview to ensure they meet eligibility criteria and provide informed consent. 100 mg leflunomide daily for three days followed by 30 mg day will be prescribed. The subjects will be required to monitor their temperatures twice daily and a daily telephone call with an investigatory will review symptoms of disease and potential side effects of the drug. Subjects can discontinue the drug after five days if they no longer have fever, or take the drug for up to ten days if required for fever resolution.

Interventions

DRUGLeflunomide

Tolerability study of leflunomide 100 mg administered once daily for 3 days followed by 30 mg administered once daily for the duration of 2 - 7 days.

Sponsors

University of Chicago
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Being tested positive for SARS-Cov-2 in outpatient setting in drive-thru, ED, or ambulatory clinics at the University of Chicago within 72 hours of enrollment. * Age \>18 * Mild COVID-19, defined as the presence of any symptom consistent with an upper respiratory tract infection, including dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, fatigue, myalgia, headaches

Exclusion criteria

* Participation in any other clinical trial of an experimental agent treatment for COVID-19 * Current hospitalization * Known hypersensitivity to leflunomide * Currently taking methotrexate * Currently taking terliflunomide * Known chronic kidney disease, stage 4-5, or receiving dialysis * History of liver disease * History of interstitial lung disease * Pregnancy and lactation - pregnancy test required for females * Inability to monitor body temperature (oral, axillary, tympanic or frontal) at least twice a day from study enrollment day (Day 1) to the end of the study (Day 14). * Inability to provide informed consent to the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Tolerability of high dose leflunomide as measured by leflunomide dose modifications14 daysNumber of subjects requiring leflunomide dose modifications
Tolerability of high dose leflunomide as measured by discontinuation of leflunomide14 daysNumber of subjects that discontinue leflunomide
Tolerability of high dose leflunomide as measured by Adverse Events14 daysNumber of Adverse Events observed in all subjects for the duration of the study

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to defervescence as measured in days while on treatment protocol14 daysThe number of days to reach first fever normalization (criteria for normalization: temperature \< 100.4 F)
Resolution of other COVID-19 symptoms measured in days while on treatment protocol14 daysNumber of days to resolve other symptoms, as assessed by a standardized questionnaire for symptom assessment

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026