The Montreal Heart Institute announces that its Research Center is launching today a COVID-19 clinical study in Canada to determine whether short-term treatment would reduce the risk of pulmonary complications and related deaths.

The clinical study, named COLCORONA, coordinated by the Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC) is funded by the Government of Quebec and supported by Pharmascience and CGI.

COLCORONA will evaluate the phenomenon of major inflammatory storm present in adults suffering from severe complications related to COVID-19. The researchers hypothesized that the treatment could reduce the complications associated with COVID-19. The clinical study will involve the recruitment of approximately 6,000 participants followed for 30 days. Initial results will be available a few days after study completion.

Participants eligibility criteria:

Be tested positive for COVID-19;

Be 40 years and over;

Not hospitalized;

Be willing to take the drug or placebo daily for 30 days;

Be willing to participate in two follow-up calls by phone or videoconference.

Women who do not take contraceptives, those who are pregnant and those who are breastfeeding are not eligible for the clinical study.

People with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis who are interested in participating in the clinical study are encouraged to speak to their health care professional or call 1-877-536-6837. Phone lines will be open as of 7h00 AM EDT Monday March 23rd.

To learn more about the COLCORONA clinical study, go to www.colcorona.org.

About the Montreal Heart Institute

Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute constantly strives for the highest standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its leadership in clinical and basic research, ultra- specialized care, professional training and prevention. It is home to the largest cardiology research center in Canada, the largest cardiovascular prevention center in the country, and the largest cardiovascular genetics center in the country. The Institute is affiliated with the University of Montreal and has more than 2,000 employees, including 245 physicians and more than 85 researchers. www.icm-mhi.org

About the Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC)

The Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC) is a leading academic clinical research organization that is an integral part of the Montreal Heart Institute (ICM). The MHICC has a network of research collaborators in more than 4,500 clinical establishments over 30 countries. The MHICC has specific expertise in high quality clinical cost-efficient trials, precision medicine and the development of new indications for medicines. www.mhicc.org

About Pharmascience

Founded in 1983, Pharmascience Inc. is the largest pharmaceutical employer in Quebec. With its head office located in Montreal and its 1,500 employees, Pharmascience inc. is a private, full- service pharmaceutical company with deep roots in Canada, and whose global reach is growing, in part thanks to the distribution of its products in more than 60 countries. Ranked 56th among the top 100 Canadian investors in research and development (R&D) thanks to $ 43 million investment in 2018, Pharmascience Inc. is the 4th largest manufacturer of over-the-counter generic drugs in the country. www.pharmascience.com

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is one of the world's largest information technology (IT) and management consulting firms. From hundreds of locations around the world, CGI offers a complete portfolio of services and solutions: strategic IT and management consulting services, systems integration services, intellectual property solutions as well as IT and business process management services in delegated mode. www.cgi.com/canad

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Source: Montreal Heart Institute

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