Information for site staff in the UK

update alerts

27 september 2024

Dear Colleagues,  

ASPECT and RECOVERY are large-scale, open-label, randomised trials testing treatments for patients admitted to hospital with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). ASPECT is assessing whether aspirin reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, and RECOVERY is assessing whether dexamethasone improves 28-day survival.  

We would like to encourage sites taking part in ASPECT or RECOVERY to consider also participating in the other trial if local capacity allows, to help us answer these important questions.  

Screening for eligible patients can be done in parallel for the two trials. Some patients will be eligible for only one trial (usually due to concomitant medications), but many patients will be eligible for both. For these patients, local research teams can decide to either (i) recruit to one trial alone, with the preferred trial depending on local priorities and/or patient preference, or (ii) recruit to both trials simultaneously, with consent obtained separately for each trial and with two separate treatment allocations.  

Coordination plan for the two trials. 

If you are interested in opening ASPECT or the RECOVERY CAP comparison at your site, or want to know more, then contact us at one of the addresses below:  

ASPECT – aspect-trial@bristol.ac.uk  

RECOVERY – recoverytrial@ndph.ox.ac.uk (for more information on the RECOVERY CAP comparison, including its rationale, see the CAP dexamethasone intervention sheet) 

We hope that by maximising the opportunity for participation in these trials we can produce clear answers about how to manage patients hospitalised with CAP.  

Best wishes, 

Nick Maskell, David Arnold, Peter Horby and Martin Landray 

On behalf of the ASPECT and RECOVERY teams

17 september 2024

Baloxavir is available to order again from Roche. Please note that baloxavir packaging has changed and packs now contain 1x 40mg tablet. The pharmacy manual (V24.2) and ordering form (17-Sept-2024) have been updated to reflect this, but ordering procedures are otherwise unchanged. At present the maximum amount supplied to sites remains 10 packs due to supply limitations, but this will be increased before the winter flu season.

19 june 2024

Please note that current baloxavir supplied for RECOVERY has an expiry date of 30 June 2024. Replacement baloxavir can be ordered now from Roche, but deliveries of this will be delayed until the second half of July. This means that patients should not be randomised to the baloxavir comparison from 28 June until replacement baloxavir has been received.

4 april 2024

The final two COVID-19 comparisons (sotrovimab and high dose dexamethasone) closed to recruitment on 31 March. Any sotrovimab remaining at sites should be disposed of according to local policy. We will share results from these comparisons when they become available.

RECOVERY will remain open to the influenza and CAP comparisons, which are planned to continue until at least June 2026.

All sites are invited to take part in the RECOVERY CAP comparison, including sites taking part in ASPECT (see ASPECT & RECOVERY coordination plan).

All sites are invited to take part in the RECOVERY influenza comparisons at locations where the RECOVERY or REMAP-CAP influenza comparisons are not already open (see REMAP-CAP & RECOVERY collaboration plan).

We would be grateful if you could let us know if your site is interested in opening the RECOVERY influenza or CAP comparisons as soon as possible, even if you don’t plan recruitment to start until Autumn/Winter 2024.