In a phase 2 clinical trial of a potential treatment for fatigue associated with long COVID-19, people who received the medicine reported positive results over those receiving a placebo.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford, England, and published in eClinical Medicine.
It was one of the first randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial for a possible treatment for long COVID, according to a press release from the university.
the university reported.
Forty-one people participated. They had fatigue for 18 months beforehand. All completed the study, and none reported serious side effects.
AXA1125 was developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Axcella Therapeutics.
“Potential causes [of long COVID fatigue] include reduced mitochondrial function and cellular bioenergetics,” the researchers reported.
“AXA1125 was tested in long COVID fatigue as previous data from Axcella showed effects on cellular energetics and inflammation. Emerging data on long COVID suggests that the virus targets the mitochondrial, which are essential to normal energy generation and control of inflammation,” the university noted in its press release. “AXA1125 may improve energy generation and reduce the amount of inflammation in the body.”
The study’s authors wrote that AXA1125 was tied to a “significant reduction in 28-day Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire score relative to placebo.” They said participants who reported less fatigue also had better mitochondrial health and walked farther in a 6-minute test.
A version of this article first appeared on WebMD.com.