Soroka Medical Center — COVID-19 Interferon Lambda Trial Study (Ohad Etzion)

[Scientific Research] Grant investigators: Chris Somerville and Heather Youngs This page was reviewed but not written by the grant investigators. Soroka Medical Center staff also reviewed this page prior to publication. Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $55,000 to the Soroka Medical Center to support an approximately three-month trial study of weekly injections of pegylated interferon lambda proteins (Lambda) as a treatment for COVID-19, led by Dr. Ohad Etzion of the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel. The trial will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Lambda according to patients’ viral load and physiological measurements. Interferon lambda has previously been shown to decrease infection rate and spread of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 in animal models, but has not yet been studied as a treatment for COVID-19 in humans. This falls within our work on scientific research, specifically within our interest in science supporting biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.