Scripps Research Launches Remote Clinical Trial for Long COVID Treatment
LA JOLLA, CA-Scientists at the Scripps Research Translational Institute invite people with long COVID across the U.S. to join a remote clinical trial that is testing whether an existing FDA-approved therapy, tirzepatide, can provide relief from long COVID symptoms.
The Long COVID Treatment trial (LoCITT,pronounced ‘lock-it’) is a novel research platform funded by the Schmidt initiative for Long Covid (SILC) as part of it’s grant to support the tirzepatide trial. LoCITT is dedicated to accelerating discoveries for the complex, multisystem condition which has affected the lives of more than 400 million people worldwide. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of long COVID.
Tirzepatide, a GIP/GLP-1 dual receptor agonist, is currently approved for type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and obstructive sleep apnea. The initial trial will explore whether the drug’s anti-inflammatory effects can improve symptoms in people with long COVID.
LoCITT’s remote clinical trial technology will allow for swift screening, enrollment and randomization of patients. Drugs and placebos will be mailed directly to the participant’s home, and participants will also use wearable devices and smart scales so scientists can track real-time health changes and measure the drug’s impact on symptoms.
“We’re seeing GLP-1 drugs show tremendous promise across a wide range of conditions,including improving markers of body-wide and brain inflammation,which is common in long COVID,” says Eric topol,executive vice president of Scripps Research and co-principal investigator of LoCITT. “Given the urgency of finding an effective treatment for long COVID,it’s critical that we test the most promising agent-tirzepatide is at the top of our list.”
Long COVID is marked by a wide range of symptoms that develop and continue months and even years after an acute COVID-19 infection. It can effect multiple organ systems, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal and immunological, with the constellation of more than 200 possible symptoms varying from person to person and commonly including debilitating fatigue. How long COVID presents in patients-and the lack of a biomarker to effectively detect it-adds to the difficulty in diagnosing and treating the condition.
“Drug repurposing represents the fastest potential path to treatment for long COVID,” says John Redd, CEO of SILC.”combining that with safety monitoring, at-home clinical trial participation makes this a particularly promising trial and a model for future studies of complex diseases.”
Scripps Research scientists seek to enroll 1,000 trial participants from across the U.S. in a fully remote, randomized control trial to study the effect of tirzepatide on long COVID over the course of one year. participants will use the MyDataHelps app to check their eligibility, provide consent, complete surveys, order research materials and report symptoms.
October 30, 2025