Department of Defense funds $8 million grant for Long COVID trials

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded an initial $8 million grant to support a new clinical trials program called PROBE-PASC, aimed at researching Long COVID. This program, announced at a Long COVID conference in Amsterdam, focuses on mechanistic trials that will study the disease's underlying biology while testing potential treatments. The first trial within this series will examine the monoclonal antibody Pemgarda and the immune-modulating drug hydroxychloroquine, both individually and in combination.

Michael Peluso, an infectious disease researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and one of the lead investigators for the initial trial, detailed the program's goal as "experimental medicine" that will explore specific questions about Long COVID's causes while evaluating potential drugs. Peluso explained that answering these questions will inform larger clinical trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments.

Funding for PROBE-PASC is provided through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), a program supported by the DOD that prioritizes biomedical research on specific diseases and topics designated by Congress. Long COVID was added to this list of priorities in fiscal year 2025 due to advocacy efforts led by the Long COVID Campaign.

This grant demonstrates the DOD's interest in Long COVID, a disease that has disproportionately affected military personnel, as shown by a previous CDMRP grant supporting research on the novel drug bezisterim.

The Long COVID Campaign, which has been advocating for increased funding for Long COVID research, praised this grant as a significant step forward. Meighan Stone, executive director of the Long COVID Campaign, credited several senators for their support, including Todd Young, Roger Marshall, Bill Cassidy, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, and Tammy Duckworth. She also emphasized the importance of continued efforts to ensure Long COVID receives the necessary attention and resources in future funding cycles.