The question is, what is the purpose of the placebo, at least with ventilator patients. As I understand it, our drug is injected into muscle in many places. Patients on ventilators won't know they're being injected, is the idea for the Doctors administering the drug not to know who's getting the drug, and who's being injected with some harmless liquid.
I can't see it, there are virtually tens of thousands that could be considered the control group, they're located all over the world. Statistically I've heard that 80% of those put on ventilator pass away, but I believe they may have approved on that slightly, lets say it's improved to 70%. As I understand it, the American as well as some of the Israeli patients given the drug under compassionate use were on the ventilator for a substantial time, still they responded positively. In a trial, I would think that duration of ventilator would be considered, but I certainly believe that at least some patients should get the drug earlier, even before going on ventilator. To me it's goulish to wait for someone to be nearly on deaths door before taking such actions. I'm fine with them giving it to people who're that sick if the drug just arrived for the trial, but ideally give it earlier and watch what happens.
As I understand it many organs are damaged by coronavirus, PLX-PAD may help to offset the damage everywhere, but withholding the drug to make that determination would medically be wrong IMHO. In the case of people almost ready for ventilators, it would be interesting to see if many improved rapidly enough not to need them at all. If they insisted, some of the conscious patients could receive the placebo, but I'm against that. I would hope that if placebo were used, and patients were declining, they'd be checked to determine they were on the placebo, and if so they'd be crossed over to the drug.
I believe we could have the answer to all forms of pneumonia for most people. Certainly not everyone can be treated in a trial situation, but I believe that all who volunteer should be entitled to treatment, crossing over in every case should occur if a patient is declining. I do not know if patients who're dosed the drug would receive a second dosing if they're not improving, if so it should always be the drug, in that way, initial placebo patients would get the drug with the second dose.
Gary
