Inhalation of Ciclesonide for Patients With COVID-19: A Randomised Open Treatment Study (HALT COVID-19) (HALT)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04381364 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : May 8, 2020
Last Update Posted : February 2, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Covid-19 Pneumonia, Viral Sars-CoV2 | Drug: Ciclesonide Inhalation Aerosol | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 98 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | This multicenter study is an open-labelled, randomized clinical trial for 1:1 ratio of ciclesonide or control arm |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Inhalation of Ciclesonide for Patients With COVID-19: A Randomised Open Treatment Study (HALT COVID-19) |
Actual Study Start Date : | May 29, 2020 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | August 1, 2021 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | January 31, 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Medical treatment
Treatment with ciclesonide
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Drug: Ciclesonide Inhalation Aerosol
Ciclesonide 320 µg twice daily for 14 days.
Other Name: Alvesco |
No Intervention: Standard of Care
Standard Medical Care
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- Duration of received supplemental oxygen therapy [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Time (in days) of received supplemental oxygen therapy (defined as being alive and discharged from hospital to home or at least 48 h of not receiving oxygen therapy during hospitalization).
- Invasive mechanical ventilation or all-cause death (key secondary outcome) [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Rate of and time to (in days) received invasive mechanical ventilation or all-cause death
- All cause death [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Rate of and time to (in days) death of any cause
- Invasive mechanical ventilation [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Rate of and time to (in days) received invasive mechanical ventilation
- Remaining dyspnea symptoms [ Time Frame: 30-35 days and 5-7 months after inclusion ]Level of remaining dyspnea symptoms according to the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale
- Need for intensive care [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Need for intensive care (yes/no and time to ICU care from inclusion)
- Proportion of discharged from the hospital to their home or a nursery home [ Time Frame: 30 days after study inclusion ]Proportion of patients who are discharged from the hospital to their home or a nursery home and time to discharge.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion criteria:
- Patients 18 years of age or older who have given their written consent to participate in the study.
- Hospitalized and treated with oxygen for a maximum of 48 hours.
- Verified Covid-19: Positive sample for Sars-Cov2 RNA or a positive Sars-Cov2 antigen test from the upper respiratory tract
- Receives oxygen treatment.
- Negative pregnancy test (women of childbearing potential)
- Willing to exercise contraception categorized as "very effective" according to the Clinical Trial Facilitation Group during ongoing study treatment + 7 days (Appendix 2). (female research participant of childbearing potential)
Exclusion criteria:
- Pregnancy, breast-feeding or planned pregnancy.
- Hypersensitivity to ciclesonide or to any of the excipients.
- Concomitant medication with cortisone, ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir or nelfinavir.
- Treatment with> 8 l oxygen / min or supply of > 50% oxygen with nasal high-flow cannula
- Ongoing palliative care or expected survival of less than 72 hours.
- Expected admission to the intensive care unit within 48 hours.
- Active or inactive pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Severe Liver Failure (Child-Pugh C)
- Diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or fibrosis.
- Mental inability, reluctance or language difficulties that make it difficult to understand the meaning of participating in the study.
- Participates in or has recently participated in a clinical trial in the last 30 days. Previous participation in this study.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT04381364
Sweden | |
Södra Älvsborg hospital | |
Borås, Sweden | |
Danderyd Hospital | |
Danderyd, Sweden | |
Halmstad hospital | |
Halmstad, Sweden | |
Karlskoga Hospital | |
Karlskoga, Sweden | |
Capio S:t Görans Hospital | |
Stockholm, Sweden | |
Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge | |
Stockholm, Sweden | |
Visby Hospital | |
Visby, Sweden | |
Västmanland County Hospital Västerås | |
Västerås, Sweden | |
Växsjö Hospital | |
Växjö, Sweden | |
Örebro University Hospital | |
Örebro, Sweden | |
Östersund hospital | |
Östersund, Sweden |
Principal Investigator: | Daniel P Andersson, MD, PhD | Karolinska University Hospital | |
Principal Investigator: | Ola Blennow, MD, PhD | Capio S:t Görans Hospital and Karolinska University Hospital |
Responsible Party: | Ola Blennow, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator, St Goran's Hospital |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04381364 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
2020-02183 |
First Posted: | May 8, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | February 2, 2022 |
Last Verified: | January 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Corona virus Covid-19 Sars-CoV2 Randomized controlled trial |
Human Intervention study Corticosteroids |
COVID-19 Pneumonia, Viral Respiratory Tract Infections Infections Pneumonia Virus Diseases Coronavirus Infections Coronaviridae Infections Nidovirales Infections |
RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Ciclesonide Glucocorticoids Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Physiological Effects of Drugs Anti-Allergic Agents |