The results of a trial of potential treatments for covid-19 could be available within weeks, allowing successful drugs to be used routinely.

A letter issued by the four UK chief medical officers highlights the RECOVERY trial, which is looking at drugs used to treat HIV, anti-malarials, antibiotics and steroids and has enrolled over 9,000 participants.

If the “remarkable” pace of recruitment continues – above 1,000 patients a week - answers on some treatments could be available in five to seven weeks.

The letter states: “This will allow us to move successful drugs into routine care.”

The RECOVERY trial is one of three key national trials being run in the UK to gather evidence on drugs which may work for covid-19.

It is designed to detect “even modest effects” on survival for patients that have been hospitalised with the virus.

The drugs being tested include Lopinavir-Ritonavir, which is commonly used to treat HIV, low-dose Dexamethasone, which is a type of steroid and Hydroxychloroquine, which is related to an anti-malarial drug.

The trial also includes Azithromycin, which is a commonly used antibiotic, and Tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory treatment which is given by injection.

The UK chief medical officers have issued the letter to various parts of the NHS, including GPs, A&E departments and directors of public health, to request assistance for the trials.

It says: “We are still lacking proven, effective, treatments for covid-19, but the UK is well placed to develop evidence to inform future patient treatment.

“Clinical trials are critical both to determining which treatments work and developing the evidence for safety, frequency and dose.”

It adds: “As new admissions fall due to the success of social/physical distancing measures it will become even more important that a high proportion of patients with covid-19 are enrolled onto trials if we are to improve future treatment.”

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