Covid-19Phase 2PREVENTNCT04466683
Low-Dose Radiotherapy For Patients With SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) Pneumonia
A Phase 2 study testing Low dose radiation 35 cGy and High dose radiation 100 cGy in people with Covid-19 and Sars-CoV2, run by Ohio State University at 7 sites in 2 countries.
Trial summary
Low doses of radiation in the form of chest x-rays has been in the past to treat people with pneumonia. This treatment was thought to reduce inflammation and was found to be effective without side effects. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- What is being tested?
- Low dose radiation 35 cGy and High dose radiation 100 cGy
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 37 participants
- Where
- 7 sitesin 2 countries
- Study dates
- 28 Aug 2020to 31 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia
- Currently hospitalized with COVID-19
- Symptomatic fever, cough and/or dyspnea for < 9 days
- Patient or legal/authorized representative can understand and sign the study informed consent document
- Able to be positioned on a linear-accelerator couch for Radiation Therapy delivery
- And at least one of the following risk factors for significant pulmonary compromise:
Show all 12Show fewer
- Fever > 102 degrees Fahrenheit during index admission
- Respiratory rate of ≥ 26 / minute within 24 hours of screening
- SpO2 ≤ 95% on room air within 24 hours of screening
- Any patient requiring 4 L/min oxygen therapy to maintain SpO2 >93% within 24 hours of screening
- Ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired air < 320.
- Patients may be enrolled on this trial while concurrently enrolled on other COVID-19 clinical trials.
Who cannot join
- Currently requiring mechanical ventilation
- Prior thoracic radiotherapy, with the exception of the following:
- Breast or post-mastectomy chest wall radiation (without regional nodal irradiation) may be included at the discretion of the site primary investigator, and
- Thoracic skin radiation therapy (without regional nodal irradiation) is allowed.
- Known hereditary syndrome with increased sensitivity to radiotherapy, including ataxia-telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, and Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome
- Known prior systemic use of the following drugs: Bleomycin, Carmustine, Methotrexate, Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, or Amiodarone
Show all 15Show fewer
- History of or current diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, or an alternative pulmonary condition responsible for significant lung compromise at the discretion of the site primary investigator
- History of lung lobectomy or pneumonectomy
- Known history of pulmonary sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, Sjögren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome, Goodpasture's syndrome, or ankylosing spondylitis.
- Symptomatic congestive heart failure within the past 6 months including during current hospitalization
- History of recent or current malignancy receiving any cytotoxic chemotherapy or immunotherapy within the past 6 months.
- History of bone marrow transplantation.
- History of any solid organ transplant (renal, cardiac, liver, lung) requiring immunosuppressive therapy.
- Females who are pregnant or breast feeding.
- Inability to undergo radiotherapy for any other medical or cognitive issues.
Trial locations and contacts
7 sites in 2 countries.
7 sites in 2 countries
United States6 sites
Boca Raton Regional Hospital Lynn Cancer Institute
Boca Raton, Florida, 33486
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital
Columbus, Ohio, 43210
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202
Lowell General Hospital Cancer Center
Lowell, Massachusetts, 01854
Loyola University Chicago
Maywood, Illinois, 60153
Miami Cancer Institute
Miami, Florida, 33176
About this study
Official title: Phase II Protocol of Low-Dose Whole Thorax Megavoltage Radiotherapy for Patients With SARS-COV-2 Pneumonia
Low doses of radiation in the form of chest x-rays has been in the past to treat people with pneumonia. This treatment was thought to reduce inflammation and was found to be effective without side effects. However, it was an expensive treatment and was eventually replaced with less expensive treatment options like penicillin.
The COVID-19 virus has emerged recently, causing high rates of pneumonia in people. The authors believe that giving a small dose of radiation to the lungs may reduce inflammation and neutralize the pneumonia caused by COVID-19. For this study, the x-ray given is called radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams from a large machine to target the lungs and reduce inflammation. Usually, it is given at much higher doses to treat cancers.
The purpose of this study is to find out if adding a single treatment of low-dose x-rays to the lungs might reduce the amount of inflammation in the lungs from COVID-19 infection, which could reduce the need for a ventilator or breathing tube.
Read the detailed description
The authors propose a two-step randomized Phase II study to determine if single fraction low dose whole thorax megavoltage radiotherapy (LD-WTRT) can produce meaningful clinical benefit in COVID-19 patients. In Step 1, patients would be randomized 1:2 to standard of care without or with LD-WTRT. Patients randomized to LD-WTRT would be further randomized to either 35 cGy or 100 cGy. After 20 patients have been enrolled on each low-dose radiotherapy arm, they will be evaluated to determine the selection of the "best radiotherapy dose-arm" for the remainder of the patients. This will be done by analyzing clinical benefit, risk profile, and the dynamics of biomarker change, specifically focusing on IL-6
- If the rate of Grade 4 toxicity is lower by an absolute rate of 15% when comparing the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the arm with the lower toxicity rate will be used for Step 2 of the trial.
- If the crude clinically meaningful event rate (CMER) which is a composite endpoint, is lower by an absolute rate of 20% when comparing the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the lower CMER rate arm will be used for Step 2. CMER is defined as a composite of :
- Rate of mechanical ventilation (MV)
- Rate of prolonged hospital stay >10 days (PHS)
- Crude all-cause mortality rate at the time of analysis
- If the crude CMER is < 20% difference between the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the investigators will determine whether there is a trend suggesting less Facility Resource Utilization Rate (FRUR). If the FRUR is 20% lower in either the 35 cGy or 100 cGy arms, that dose will be used for Step 2. The FRUR is based upon:
- Days of mechanical ventilation
- Days of hospitalization.
- If both crude CMER and FRU rates do not differ by at least 20%, the investigators will evaluate the area under the curve (AUC) for IL-6 levels drawn within 24 hours before LD-WTRT and at 48 hours (2d) and 168 hours (7d) after radiation. If one of the two arms has a 20% lower serum IL-6 AUC one week after radiotherapy, the investigators will select that arm for Step 2.
- If none of the parameters in numbers 1-4 above differ in the criteria listed, the investigators will use the lower dose of 35 cGy for Step 2.
- Being tested
- Low dose radiation 35 cGy, High dose radiation 100 cGy
- Keywords
- radiation, radiotherapy, Linac
- Medical subject headings
- COVID-19, Pneumonia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Low dose radiation 35 cGyRadiation
A dose of 35 cGy of whole thorax irradiation will be delivered at a single timepoint
High dose radiation 100 cGyRadiation
A dose of 100 cGy of whole thorax irradiation will be delivered at a single timepoint
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Low radiation arm | Experimental | A single dose of 35 cGY delivered to the whole thorax Receives: Radiation: Low dose radiation 35 cGy |
| High radiation arm | Experimental | A single dose of 100 cGY delivered to the whole thorax Receives: Radiation: High dose radiation 100 cGy |
| Control arm | No intervention | Patients will receive no radiation therapy but will have research samples collected and best supportive care |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Step 1 Dose selection
The rate of grade 4 toxicity, the rate of mechanical ventilation, the rate of hospital stay greater than 10 days, and the crude all-cause mortality rate will be used to calculate the clinically meaningful event rate (CMER). The rates range would be from 0 to 100% with a lower rate indicating a more favorable dose.
Measured: At least 2 weeks after the 60th patient enrolled has been evaluated for adverse events. It is estimated that the time frame will be about 1 year to complete enrollment.
Clinical benefit of Step 2 Radiation dose
Clinical benefit will have the composite endpoint with the following 3 elements: the rate of mechanical ventilation, the rate of hospital stays of greater than 10 days and the rate of all-cause mortality at 30 from enrollment. A lower rate would indicate a positive clinical benefit and would range from 0 to 100%
Measured: up to 30 days from the last patient enrollment in Step 2 which is estimated to be about 2 years.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Changes of the cost of care for the control arm versus the radiation arms
Billing codes will be collected to determine the total cost of hospitalization for each patient at discharge. The cost of hospitalization for the control arm versus experimental radiation arms will be compared.
Measured: The discharge of the last patient enrolled is estimated to be about 2 years.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jul 2020
- Study start28 Aug 2020
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Covid-19Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ohio State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Subjects will be randomized 2:1 to receive radiation therapy (2 different doses) or control (no radiation). Sixty subjects will be enrolled to 3 arms and the best dose chosen after enrolling 60 subjects. Randomization of an additional 40 subjects will be randomized 2:1 to receive radiation therapy (best dose) versus control with no radiation.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 37 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Varian Medical Systems
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Arnab Chakravarti, Ohio State University
- Investigators
- Arnab Chakravarti, MD, Principal investigator, James Cancer Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04466683
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PREVENT
- Acronym
- PREVENT
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jun 2020
- Last updated
- 16 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
McClelland S 3rd, Miller AC, Williams MD, Anthony BP, Chakravarti A, Anthony PA. Low-dose whole thorax radiation therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia: inpatient onboarding process for a randomized controlled trial. Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2021 Dec 30;26(6):1057-1059. doi: 10.5603/RPOR.a2021.0112. eCollection 2021.
PubMed 34992881
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Phase II Protocol of Low-Dose Whole Thorax Megavoltage Radiotherapy for Patients With SARS-COV-2 Pneumonia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04466683
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PREVENT / PREVENT
- Keywords
- radiation, radiotherapy, Linac
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 37 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Ohio State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Varian Medical Systems
- Study start
- 28 Aug 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jul 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Low doses of radiation in the form of chest x-rays has been in the past to treat people with pneumonia. This treatment was thought to reduce inflammation and was found to be effective without side effects. However, it was an expensive treatment and was eventually replaced with less expensive treatment options like penicillin.
The COVID-19 virus has emerged recently, causing high rates of pneumonia in people. The authors believe that giving a small dose of radiation to the lungs may reduce inflammation and neutralize the pneumonia caused by COVID-19. For this study, the x-ray given is called radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams from a large machine to target the lungs and reduce inflammation. Usually, it is given at much higher doses to treat cancers.
The purpose of this study is to find out if adding a single treatment of low-dose x-rays to the lungs might reduce the amount of inflammation in the lungs from COVID-19 infection, which could reduce the need for a ventilator or breathing tube.
Detailed description
The authors propose a two-step randomized Phase II study to determine if single fraction low dose whole thorax megavoltage radiotherapy (LD-WTRT) can produce meaningful clinical benefit in COVID-19 patients. In Step 1, patients would be randomized 1:2 to standard of care without or with LD-WTRT. Patients randomized to LD-WTRT would be further randomized to either 35 cGy or 100 cGy. After 20 patients have been enrolled on each low-dose radiotherapy arm, they will be evaluated to determine the selection of the "best radiotherapy dose-arm" for the remainder of the patients. This will be done by analyzing clinical benefit, risk profile, and the dynamics of biomarker change, specifically focusing on IL-6
- If the rate of Grade 4 toxicity is lower by an absolute rate of 15% when comparing the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the arm with the lower toxicity rate will be used for Step 2 of the trial.
- If the crude clinically meaningful event rate (CMER) which is a composite endpoint, is lower by an absolute rate of 20% when comparing the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the lower CMER rate arm will be used for Step 2. CMER is defined as a composite of :
- Rate of mechanical ventilation (MV)
- Rate of prolonged hospital stay >10 days (PHS)
- Crude all-cause mortality rate at the time of analysis
- If the crude CMER is < 20% difference between the 35 cGy and 100 cGy arms, the investigators will determine whether there is a trend suggesting less Facility Resource Utilization Rate (FRUR). If the FRUR is 20% lower in either the 35 cGy or 100 cGy arms, that dose will be used for Step 2. The FRUR is based upon:
- Days of mechanical ventilation
- Days of hospitalization.
- If both crude CMER and FRU rates do not differ by at least 20%, the investigators will evaluate the area under the curve (AUC) for IL-6 levels drawn within 24 hours before LD-WTRT and at 48 hours (2d) and 168 hours (7d) after radiation. If one of the two arms has a 20% lower serum IL-6 AUC one week after radiotherapy, the investigators will select that arm for Step 2.
- If none of the parameters in numbers 1-4 above differ in the criteria listed, the investigators will use the lower dose of 35 cGy for Step 2.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Subjects will be randomized 2:1 to receive radiation therapy (2 different doses) or control (no radiation). Sixty subjects will be enrolled to 3 arms and the best dose chosen after enrolling 60 subjects. Randomization of an additional 40 subjects will be randomized 2:1 to receive radiation therapy (best dose) versus control with no radiation.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Low radiation arm | Experimental | Radiation: Low dose radiation 35 cGyA single dose of 35 cGY delivered to the whole thorax |
| High radiation arm | Experimental | Radiation: High dose radiation 100 cGyA single dose of 100 cGY delivered to the whole thorax |
| Control arm | No intervention | –Patients will receive no radiation therapy but will have research samples collected and best supportive care |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia
- Currently hospitalized with COVID-19
- Symptomatic fever, cough and/or dyspnea for < 9 days
- Patient or legal/authorized representative can understand and sign the study informed consent document
- Able to be positioned on a linear-accelerator couch for Radiation Therapy delivery
Key exclusion criteria (15 listed)
- Currently requiring mechanical ventilation
- Prior thoracic radiotherapy, with the exception of the following:
- Known hereditary syndrome with increased sensitivity to radiotherapy, including ataxia-telangiectasia, xeroderma pigmentosum, and Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome
- Known prior systemic use of the following drugs: Bleomycin, Carmustine, Methotrexate, Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, or Amiodarone
- History of or current diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, or an alternative pulmonary condition responsible for significant lung compromise at the discretion of the site primary investigator
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Low dose radiation 35 cGyA dose of 35 cGy of whole thorax irradiation will be delivered at a single timepoint | Radiation | Low radiation arm |
| High dose radiation 100 cGyA dose of 100 cGy of whole thorax irradiation will be delivered at a single timepoint | Radiation | High radiation arm |
Primary outcome
Step 1 Dose selection
Time frame: At least 2 weeks after the 60th patient enrolled has been evaluated for adverse events. It is estimated that the time frame will be about 1 year to complete enrollment.
The rate of grade 4 toxicity, the rate of mechanical ventilation, the rate of hospital stay greater than 10 days, and the crude all-cause mortality rate will be used to calculate the clinically meaningful event rate (CMER). The rates range would be from 0 to 100% with a lower rate indicating a more favorable dose.
Clinical benefit of Step 2 Radiation dose
Time frame: up to 30 days from the last patient enrollment in Step 2 which is estimated to be about 2 years.
Clinical benefit will have the composite endpoint with the following 3 elements: the rate of mechanical ventilation, the rate of hospital stays of greater than 10 days and the rate of all-cause mortality at 30 from enrollment. A lower rate would indicate a positive clinical benefit and would range from 0 to 100%
1 secondary outcome
Changes of the cost of care for the control arm versus the radiation arms
Time frame: The discharge of the last patient enrolled is estimated to be about 2 years.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Apr 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 34992881McClelland S 3rd, Miller AC, Williams MD, Anthony BP, Chakravarti A, Anthony PA. Low-dose whole thorax radiation therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia: inpatient onboarding process for a randomized controlled trial. Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2021 Dec 30;26(6):1057-1059. doi: 10.5603/RPOR.a2021.0112. eCollection 2021.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Arnab Chakravarti, MD principal investigator
James Cancer Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology
7 sites in 2 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Low dose radiation 35 cGy and High dose radiation 100 cGy in people with Covid-19 and Sars-CoV2, run by Ohio State University at 7 sites in 2 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 12 inclusion and 15 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 7 sites in United States, Colombia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Step 1 Dose selection (time frame: At least 2 weeks after the 60th patient enrolled has been evaluated for adverse events. It is estimated that the time frame will be about 1 year to complete enrollment.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04466683, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Apr 2026.