US health experts halt plasma treatment for COVID patients as trial produced no 'benefit'

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States has halted the clinical trials for convalescent plasma as a treatment in COVID-19 patients after experts found no benefits. The trial, which began in August 2020, was initiated to determine whether blood plasma-derived from recovered COVID-19 patients was safe to use in adults with mild and moderate symptoms of COVID-19. The trial was specifically looking at the effectiveness of COVID-19 convalescent plasma. 

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Failed to trigger immune respone

US health experts found that while the blood plasma did not cause any harm to participants, it failed to trigger an immune response in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19. According to NIH, the trial was being conducted at 47 hospitals across the United States and had 511 participants with at least one risk factor associated with COVID-19, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, etc. 

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"An independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) met on Feb. 25, 2021, for the second planned interim analysis of the trial data and determined that while the convalescent plasma intervention caused no harm, it was unlikely to benefit this group of patients. After the meeting, the DSMB recommended that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH, stop enrolling new patients into the study. NHLBI did so immediately," NIH said in a press release. 

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Health experts across the world started using COVID-19 convalescent plasma, also known as survivor’s plasma, to treat patients with mild and moderate symptoms, those who were not on life support or hospitalised. The survivor's plasma contains special antibodies generated by the body's natural immune system to fight COVID-19.

The United States is currently using COVID-19 vaccines to immunise its population against the disease. The country has approved three COVID-19 vaccines so far, one of which is Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine, which was recently granted emergency use authorisation from the FDA. The United States has vaccinated more than 76 million people to date. 

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