On Apr. 27, 2020, CTI BioPharma announced initiation of PRE-VENT, a Phase 3 study evaluating pacritinib in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. PRE-VENT, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study, will compare pacritinib plus standard of care (SOC) versus placebo plus standard of care in 358 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19, including patients with and without cancer.

The primary endpoint of the trial assessed the proportion of patients who progress to invasive mechanical ventilation and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or die by Day 28. CTI expected to commence enrollment of PRE-VENT in May at sites in the U.S. and in Europe with data expected by the end of 2020.