Adalimumab, which is sold under the brand name Humira by AbbVie, is a type of anti-inflammatory known as an anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to hospital, Oxford said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Oxford’s trial, called AVID-CC, will be aimed at treating people in the community, especially in care homes, the university said. It will enrol up to 750 patients from community care settings throughout Britain.

Humira is used to treat a range of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis.

The availability of biosimilar versions of the medicine would make it affordable and accessible if the trial is successful, Oxford said. Novartis makes one of the alternatives, Hyrimoz.

Research has identified some treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including Gilead’s remdesivir as well as the generic steroid drug dexamethasone.

Researchers have also studied other anti-inflammatory drugs for treating COVID-19. Severe infections are believed to be triggered by an over-reaction of the immune system, known as a cytokine storm, and drugs that suppress certain elements of the immune system can play a role in arresting a rapid escalation of symptoms.

But there are as yet no effective therapies for people who are not admitted to hospital.

Care homes were particularly hard hit by the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK and other countries. If Humira were successful against COVID-19, this could help some older people who are some of most vulnerable, it said, at a time when governments are struggling to contain the pandemic.

The Oxford study is funded by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator initiative set up by global health charity Wellcome, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Mastercard.

Sanofi said Kevzara – which it produces with partner Regeneron – had failed as a COVID-19 treatment after the latest set of trials in patients across the world showed adverse effects, and would be dropped for studies in this field.

Sanofi said the trials had led in some cases to COVID-19 pneumonia infections and even death in a few cases, Reuters reported.

The two companies do not anticipate conducting further clinical studies of it, Sanofi added.

Trials had shown that the drug did not help patients with less severe COVID-19, the companies had said in July.

“Although this trial did not yield the results we hoped for, we are proud of the work that was achieved by the team to further our understanding of the potential use of Kevzara for the treatment of COVID-19,” said Sanofi’s global head of research and development, John Reed.

“At Sanofi, we are committed to help combat the global COVID-19 pandemic, including developing vaccine candidates that can be manufactured at large scale,” he added.

Pharmaceutical companies have been racing to develop treatments against the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 849,000 lives and crippled economies.

Last month, CEO Paul Hudson said Sanofi’s confidence in its coronavirus vaccine candidates had increased over the summer as the drugmaker prepared to start clinical trials.

In July, Roche said its attempt to retool its rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra/RoActemra to treat patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19-related pneumonia has failed in a late-stage trial.

The phase 1 trial, approved by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), will involve around 30 healthy participants to test the safety and kickstart this month, Daewoong said in a statement.

The South Korean drugmaker is testing the drug in partnership with New Delhi-based Mankind Pharma Ltd, which will continue the second and third phases of trials in India on mild and severe coronavirus patients.

Drugmakers worldwide are scrambling to develop treatments for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 739,000 people globally since it first emerged late last year in China.

The trial results from India will be used for export permits in Europe and the United States, said Daewoong. The company is also waiting for a separate phase 1 trial approval from South Korea, Nathan Kim, vice-president at Daewoong’s communications office, told Reuters.

Daewoong had said its anti-viral drug had completely eliminated the novel coronavirus from animals’ lungs during pre-clinical testing.