Researchers think an experimental drug might prevent COVID-19 blood clots

Doctors in Mexico look at blood clot from COVID-19 patient

(Image credit: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

last updated 15 June 2020

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that also causes inflammation, but a third of hospitalized coronavirus patients develop dangerous blood clots as well. Scientists at Britain's Imperial College London hypothesize that the clots are a byproduct of a hormonal imbalance caused by an enzyme the coronavirus deactivates to invade cells, BBC News reports, and they are preparing a clinical trial to see if the experimental drug TRV027 can fix that imbalance. The trial, funded by the British Heart Foundation, begins next month, with about 60 patients getting either TRVO27 or a placebo.

TRVO27, made by Trevena, "works to rebalance hormones involved in blood pressure, water, and salt," BBC News says. It was originally developed to treat acute heart failure, though it failed to live up to expectations in a trial.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.