U.S. researchers to evaluate drugs prescribed to children with COVID-19

Researchers funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) have launched an effort to evaluate drugs prescribed to treat COVID-19 in infants, children and adolescents across the country, according to an NIH release on Wednesday.

The study leverages an existing clinical trial that examines drugs that are prescribed off-label to children for a variety of medical conditions.

Researchers will investigate several drugs currently given to children diagnosed with COVID-19, including antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Products will be added or removed from the list as researchers learn more about the treatment needs of patients with COVID-19, according to the NIH.

Researchers will analyze blood samples collected from routine medical procedures to understand how drugs move through the bodies of children, from newborns to adolescents under 21 years of age.

They will also collect information on potential side effects and patient outcomes, such as the duration and type of respiratory support that may be needed and length of hospital stay.

"As we search for safe and effective therapies for COVID-19, we want to make sure that we do not overlook the needs of our youngest patients who may respond differently to these drugs, compared to adults," said Diana Bianchi, director of NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which oversees the project.