COVID-19 Convalescent Blood Plasma Trials Underway

Dr. Shmuel Shoham, Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discusses the multi-center, double-blind randomized controlled convalescent blood plasma trials that are currently testing to determine whether giving people antibodies is effective attreating early-stage coronavirus and in preventing those exposed to it from catching the disease.  He explains how this research differs from other therapeutics and vaccines under development and why researchers believe it may be promising for COVID-19.  He talks about which patients are good candidates for these trials, and what patients can expect if they choose to participate.

Dr. Shoham is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has over 20 years of experience in management of highly immuno compromised patients, serves as a reviewer and expert consultant to multiple journals,professional societies and government agencies, and is a member of professional guideline committees for several national and international organizations. These include the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for COVID-19. He has extensive experience in supervising and conducting antimicrobial clinical trials as principle investigator and in overseeing safety aspects of such trials through work as an independent safety monitor and as a member of the data safety monitoring boards for various studies,including those involving COVID-19. He is principal orco-investigator on 6 interventional COVID-19 trials and serves as a consultant and safety board member for 5 other COVID-19 trials.The plasma research team at Johns Hopkins, of which he is a key member, was recently awarded approximately $35M in federal funding to study convalescent plasma for COVID prevention and early treatment.