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A clinical trial has begun in South London to determine whether Ibuprofen is a viable treatment for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The trial will use "lipid ibuprofen," which is different than the over-the-counter available ibuprofen.

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The LIBERATE Trial is a pioneering collaboration between London’s Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College London, and the pharmaceutical organization the SEEK Group.

The drug is being tested to assess whether it can prevent severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)- a common complication of COVID-19- in patients suffering from novel coronavirus infection, and also to reduce the number of people needing treatment in intensive care units.

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Ibuprofen which is an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medicine is easily available OTC worldwide. But this trial is using a special formulation of ibuprofen rather than the regular tablets.The unique formulation of ibuprofen is done to reduce potential gastric side effects linked to the drug. Some people already take this lipid capsule form of the drug for conditions like arthritis.

Scientists supervising the clinical trial hope that this lipid formulation, which dissolves ibuprofen into fat, will help keep hospitalized patients from requiring mechanical ventilation. The trial will evaluate how three doses of the drug affect disease progression, length of critical care stay, and length of hospital stay. Basically, the trial is done to determine whether the drug can reduce the degree of respiratory distress so that it can be managed in the hospital setting, without needing to go to ICU.

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The team from London's Guy's and, St Thomas' hospital and King's College believe the drug could treat breathing difficulties faced by COVID-19 patients. Scientists explained that the trial was only for hospitalized patients – not those who have mild or suspected COVID-19.

Participants for the trial will be drawn from those who are hospitalized, but not so ill that they are in need of intensive care. In this trial, half of the patients will receive standard care and the other half will receive standard care plus the unique ibuprofen formulation.

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Studies in animals suggest that ibuprofen might treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). One of the scientist at King's College London, Prof. Mitul Mehta said this about the trial:

"We need to do a trial to show that the evidence actually matches what we expect to happen."

It's noteworthy that ibuprofen was deemed to be dangerous for COVID patients in the early days of the pandemic. But soon researches showed that it wasn't harmful. Though it was advised to prefer paracetamol over ibuprofen due to lesser side effects of the former. Several weeks later, now scientists have pinned their hopes on the very ibuprofen to save the day against COVID-19.