Study of LAU-7b for the Treatment of Long COVID in Adults

ESSOR is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the orally-administered antiviral and inflammation-controlling LAU-7b for the treatment of adults with Long COVID and moderate to severe symptoms.

ESSOR is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2/3 study of LAU-7b for the treatment of Long COVID in non-hospitalized adults with moderate to severe Long COVID symptoms.

The goal of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of LAU-7b therapy + stable symptomatic standard-of-care relative to placebo + stable symptomatic standard-of-care at reducing the overall Long COVID burden by improving multiple dimensions of quality-of-life and alleviating the symptoms.

This study is a logical extension of investigating LAU-7b as a potential therapeutic against various phases of COVID-19.

LAU-7b is therefore being proposed as a potential disease-modifying medication for the treatment of Long COVID.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Subjects must be 18 years and older, of either gender, and able to give informed consent;
2. Subjects diagnosed with Long COVID and exhibiting persisting, relapsing or new Long COVID symptom(s) at least 12 weeks beyond the start (test positivity or symptom onset) of the causative COVID-19 infection;
3. At least one of the Long COVID symptoms must be from the core list of Long COVID symptoms, and be present for a minimum of 2 weeks prior to screening and of moderate or severe intensity as per the 4-level Likert severity scale (0 to 3; 0 = no symptoms; 1 = mild symptoms; 2 = moderate symptoms; 3 = severe symptoms);
4. If female, must be either post-menopausal (one year or greater without menses), surgically sterile, or, for female subjects of child-bearing potential who are capable of conception, must be: practicing a highly effective method of birth control (acceptable methods include intrauterine device, complete abstinence, spermicide + barrier, male partner surgical sterilization, or hormonal contraception) during the study treatment intake and through 30 days after the last dose of the study medication. Periodical abstinence is not classified as an effective method of birth control. A pregnancy test for female subjects of child-bearing potential must be negative at the Screening Visit;
5. Subjects deemed capable of adequate compliance including attending scheduled follow-up calls/visits for the duration of the study, have internet access and able to read and answer questionnaires on electronic Patient Reported Outcomes platform (ePRO) or paper;
6. Screening laboratory test and vital signs results within ranges compatible with the subject's health condition, as per investigator's judgement. See also the last exclusion for certain liver function tests;
7. Subjects deemed capable of swallowing the study treatment capsules

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is currently hospitalized (any reason);
2. Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
3. Any COVID vaccination within 4 weeks of screening or planned during study participation;
4. Presence of any health condition judged by the investigator to be directly causing one or more of the most common Long COVID symptoms;
5. Health condition deemed to possibly interfere with the study endpoints and/or the safety of the subjects. For example, the following conditions should be considered contraindicated for participation in the study. In case of doubt, the Investigator should consult with the Sponsor's medical representative:

   * Febrile neutropenia;
   * Fibromyalgia deemed to interfere with generalized pain measurements;
   * Presence of end-stage cancer (palliative care).
6. Presence or suspicion of drug or alcohol abuse, as judged by the Investigator;
7. Known history of a severe allergy or sensitivity to retinoids, or with known allergies to excipients in the oral capsule formulation proposed to be used in the study;
8. Participation in another interventional drug, alimentary supplement, psychological or device...etc. clinical trial within 30 days (or a minimum of 5 elimination half-lives for drugs) prior to screening, except ongoing participation in non-interventional studies;
9. Presence of total bilirubin \>1.5 x Upper Limit of Normal (in the absence of demonstrated Gilbert's syndrome), alanine aminotransferase and/or aspartate aminotransferase \> 2.5 x Upper Limit of Normal (unless there are clinical evidences of hepatic steatosis).