UK’s first long Covid anti-viral drug trials underway five years on

A ground-breaking research project looking to find a treatment for symptoms of long Covid is underway, as the nation marks five years since the start of the pandemic.

The £1.25m trial, which is the first of its kind in the UK and led by the University of Derby, is exploring whether anti-viral medications can be used as an effective treatment option for patients diagnosed with long Covid.

It is estimated that over two million people in the UK and more than 144m globally live with long Covid and almost a quarter of sufferers have had their symptoms for more than two years. Symptoms are broad and include extreme fatigue and breathlessness, palpitations, and brain fog.

“The impact long Covid has on the lives of patients is huge,” study lead, Mark Faghy, Professor in Clinical Exercise Science at the University of Derby, explained.

“For many, it can be debilitating, interfering with work, family life, and socialising, and millions are suffering across the world. Yet, at present, there are no confirmed treatments for the condition.

“Five years on from the start of the pandemic, long Covid remains a significant health and societal challenge, which is why this project is so important.”

The trial, which began in September 2024, is part of a wider programme of ground-breaking research being led by the University of Derby.

Involving 72 patients, the research is trialling the use of an anti-viral drug that can be given to those admitted to hospital because of a Covid-19 infection. As most people experience a community infection and are not hospitalised, they do not have a way to access to this medication.

By taking the drug out of the acute admission setting, the researchers are hoping to see whether it can help those living with long Covid and alleviate some of the symptoms that they are living with.

During the trial, patients undergo a series of assessments at the University of Derby’s specialist facilities before attending the hospital to receive the anti-viral drug intravenously for five consecutive days which are delivered in collaboration with experts from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.

The study is being led by Derby with collaborators from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust, Aston University, and the University of Exeter. It is being managed by the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit.

Patients that will be recruited in Exeter will undertake detailed body scans which are analysed to check if the anti-viral medication has reduced inflammation, which may occur in people with long Covid.

Ryan Cawley is one of the patients taking part in the trial. At 37 years old he explained how long Covid turned his life upside down.

He was working in a bank as a product owner when he caught Covid-19 at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

A year later, Ryan was diagnosed with long Covid after suffering from symptoms that prevented him from carrying out daily tasks and even resulting in having to quit his job. He said:

“I was always on the go, I loved being busy – playing football twice a week, going to the gym, swimming, socialising and nights out but long Covid took all of that away from me.

“If I tried light activity like a short walk or spent too long concentrating on a laptop, I would be wiped out and in bed for a week. I would wake up every day feeling like I had just run a marathon.”

After trying methods to manage his symptoms over the past few years and attending his local long Covid clinic, Ryan was pleased to hear about the trials at Derby as they looked to target the root cause of the symptoms.

Talking about his experience on the trials three weeks after receiving the medication, Ryan explained how he feels like it has given him his life back. He said:

“Since taking the medication, I feel like I have been given a new pair of lungs. My breathing feels better and I’m able to do more without as much rest. My girlfriend said I have been stronger each day, which is a win for me.

“I’ve had five years of my body not operating properly so I’m not expecting to be better within weeks, but I definitely feel like I’m on that upward trajectory to recovery now and feel hopeful for the future.”

Professor David Strain, clinical lead based at the University of Exeter Medical School, said:

“There is a clear need for people living with long Covid and we hope from this study we can see a reduction in the symptoms people experience. It will be an ongoing project with various phases, but we are excited to be taking the first steps to improve patients' quality of life.”

Professor Faghy added:

“This is an ongoing project with various phases and is still in its infancy, but we are excited to have taken the first steps to hopefully improve the quality of life for those living with long Covid.”

Over the past four years, Professor Faghy and his team at the University of Derby have conducted a series of international studies to explore the impacts of acute and long Covid, looking to understand the causes and contributing factors of long Covid by bringing clinical insight together with the lived experience of patients.

In 2024 the University of Derby received a Nature Inclusive Health Research Award for this research, being described as a ‘model for the future of health research’.  

Find out more