COVSurf 2

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A Clinical Trial of Nebulized Surfactant for the Treatment of Severe COVID-19 and viral pneumonia in Adults (COVSurf)

• IRAS ID

  1007224

• Contact name

  Ahilanadan Dushianthan

• Contact email

  Alilanadan.Dushianthan@uhs.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

• ISRCTN Number

  ISRCTN12839523

• Research summary

  Lung surfactant is present in the lungs. It covers the alveolar surface where it reduces the work of breathing and prevents the lungs from collapsing. In some respiratory diseases and in patients that require ventilation this substance does not function normally.

  The hypothesis behind this research is that a deficiency of functionally intact surfactant contributes to the deterioration in pulmonary function in patients with moderate to severe viral pneumonia including COVID-19.
  We would like to find out whether administering doses of surfactant corrects this deficiency and leads to an improvement in lung function in patients with viral pneumonia including COVID-19. We want to conduct an study to assess what dosing schedule produces the best response in patient’s that receive this treatment. To do this, patients will be randomised at a 3:2 ratio to receive treatment with the study drug or act as a control. Patients in the treatment arm will be allocated sequentially into one of four dosing groups with escalating dosing schedules. Patients in the control arm will not receive surfactant therapy.

  Bovactant (Alveofact®) is the selected surfactant for this study. It will be adminstered via a modified nebuliser at Day 0 and again at 8 hours and 24 hours post first dose. The nebuliser is modified to generate particles of sufficiently small diameter which provides the potential to deliver significantly larger surfactant volumes for effective delivery to the lungs. The improvement in oxygenation and pulmonary ventilation will be measured. Safety data will be reviewed throughout the patient's hospitalisation.

  Patients with viral pneumonia including COVID-19 that are hospitalised and require endotracheal intubation will be considered for inclusion in the study.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/EE/0136

• Date of REC Opinion

  4 Aug 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion