The fight against corona requires research from the top shelf, which is why the Kai Hansen Foundation is allocating an extraordinary 500,000 Danish kroner to a corona research project led by senior physician Prof. Thomas Benfield from Amager Hvidovre Hospital in Copenhagen. The project includes a trial with two different drugs to mitigate the course of the disease and prevent hospitalization of those infected with COVID-19 at risk of developing serious disease.
The Kai Hansen Foundation, which owns producer Dana Lim, has chosen to donate 500,000 Danish kroner to research into the treatment of COVID-19.
The project will take place under the leadership of senior physician Prof. Thomas Benfield from Amager Hvidovre Hospital in Copenhagen. It includes a trial with two drugs to prevent hospitalization of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at risk of developing serious disease.
A completely extraordinary situation
Chairman of the board, Mogens Overgaard, from Kai Hansen Fondet tells about the background to why they have extraordinarily chosen to support this particular project:
– We are in the midst of a pandemic that has turned our lives upside down almost from one week to the next, while at the same time setting a completely new global agenda. Therefore, there is a need for research from the top shelf so that we can develop effective treatment options as soon as possible. We have chosen to support a very exciting project, and of course hope that in the future it can help as many people as possible. He continues:
– Dana Lim has one of the industry’s most extraordinary company structures. But it is precisely that which makes it possible for us to contribute support now. I am pleased that we have that opportunity, and I hope that it will benefit future treatment options.
A possible standard treatment for COVID-19
Thomas Benfield’s research project will investigate the effect of a preventive treatment with two so-called “reused” preparations that appear to have a certain positive effect in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The project focuses on COVID-19 patients who are in the risk group for developing serious illness. In the study, these are defined as people over 50, people with a known history of illness, and people with a BMI of over 30.
A total of 645 patients are participating in the trial, which will initially take place in Copenhagen and Region Zealand until next year. It may be that the experiment is extended, but it depends on the development of the situation and current results. Thomas Benfield elaborates:
– We will investigate whether it is possible to treat those who have tested positive, but who are not so ill that they need admission to hospital. It will make a huge difference in the treatment of COVID-19 if we can soften the course so much that we can avoid hospitalization. At the same time, the treatment takes place with known agents that we know have no side effects.
– If the trial shows a positive effect of one or both treatments, it will potentially become a completely new standard for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. We are therefore very grateful that we can already start the project now.
