ArticleEClinicalMedicine2023
Interferon β-1a ring prophylaxis to reduce household transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a cluster randomised clinical trial.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04552379 (A Cluster Randomised Trial of Interferon Versus Standard of Care in the Reduction of Transmission of SARS-Cov-2. The Containing Coronavirus Disease 19 Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Cluster Randomised Trial of Interferon Versus Standard of Care in the Reduction of Transmission of SARS-Cov-2. The Containing Coronavirus Disease 19 Trial (ConCorD-19)
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Drug treatments for mild or moderate covid-19: systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2025Pooled it
- What goes up must come down: dynamics of type 1 interferon signaling across the lifespan.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Real time monitoring of respiratory viral infections in cohort studies using a smartphone app.iScience · 2024Article
- Yin and yang of interferons: lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Current opinion in immunology · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
22 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that an early, robust type 1 interferon (IFN) response to SARS-CoV-2 is important in determining COVID-19 outcomes, with an inadequate IFN response associated with disease severity. Our objective was to examine the prophylactic potential of IFN administration to limit viral transmission. Methods: A cluster randomised open label clinical trial was undertaken to determine the effects of pegylated IFNβ-1a administration on SARS-CoV-2 household transmission between December 3rd, 2020 and June 29th, 2021. Index cases were identified from databases of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 individuals in Santiago, Chile. Households were cluster randomised (stratified by household size and age of index cases) to receive 3 doses of 125 μg subcutaneous pegylated IFNβ-1a (172 households, 607 participants), or standard care (169 households, 565 participants). The statistical team was blinded to treatment assignment until the analysis plan was finalised. Analyses were undertaken to determine effects of treatment on viral shedding and viral transmission. Safety analyses included incidence and severity of adverse events in all treatment eligible participants in the standard care arm, or in the treatment arm with at least one dose administered. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04552379. Findings: 5154 index cases were assessed for eligibility, 1372 index cases invited to participate, and 341 index cases and their household contacts (n = 831) enrolled. 1172 participants in 341 households underwent randomisation, with 607 assigned to receive IFNβ-1a and 565 to standard care. Based on intention to treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) analyses for the primary endpoints, IFNβ-1a treatment did not affect duration of viral shedding in index cases (absolute risk reduction = -0.2%, 95% CI = -8.46% to 8.06%) and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to household contacts (absolute risk reduction = 3.87%, 95% CI = -3.6% to 11.3%). Treatment with IFNβ-1a resulted in significantly more treatment-related adverse events, but no increase in overall adverse events or serious adverse events. Interpretation: Based upon the primary analyses, IFNβ-1a treatment did not affect duration of viral shedding or the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to uninfected contacts within a household. Funding: Biogen PTY Ltd. Supply of interferon as 'Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a).' The study was substantially funded by BHP Holdings Pty Ltd.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.