A brief note on randomized controlled trials and compassionate/off-label use of drugs in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic

Matteo Bassetti MD, PhD, Paolo Pelosi MD, FERS, Chiara Robba MD, PhD, Antonio Vena MD, PhD, Daniele Roberto Giacobbe MD

Abstract

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the best way to find effective and acceptable safe treatments for COVID-19 and any possible future outbreak. However, caution is needed when comparing the number of participants in RCTs with that of patients with COVID-19 treated with compassionate and/or off-label drugs to support the hypothesis that the latter are preferred by clinicians as an alternative to the former.

Article Details

Article Type

Editorial

DOI

10.7573/dic.2020-5-2

Categories

Publication Dates

Accepted: ; Published: .

Citation

Bassetti M, Pelosi P, Robba C, Vena A, Giacobbe DR. A brief note on randomized controlled trials and compassionate/ off-label use of drugs in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drugs in Context 2020; 9: 2020-5-2. DOI: 10.7573/dic.2020-5-2

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