American Indian Clinical Trials Research Network to start patient trials treating COVID-19

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Starting sometime in the week of March 8, the American Indian Clinical Trials Research Network will have the green light to start patient trials treating people with COVID-19.

The clinic will be looking for anyone in the Black Hills who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last eight days and has felt mild to moderate symptoms in the last 24 hours.

The duration of a person’s participation in the trials could be as short as 24 weeks or as long as 72 weeks, depending on the treatment.

They will be treating patients with three different types of monoclonal antibodies or an oral pill.

All of these new treatments have already been tested extensively and Principle Investigator Jeffrey Henderson says these trials are important for the future of COVID-19 research.

”What these treatments are meant to do is they’re being evaluated for their use in keeping individuals with mild to moderate COVID illness from developing severe illness that might result in their hospitalization, possibly being put on a ventilator, and possibly be put at risk of losing their lives,” says Henderson.

Volunteers will receive financial compensation for participating in the trials and you can click this link here to volunteer once the trials have opened up.