Strategies and Treatments for Respiratory Infections and Viral Emergencies (STRIVE)

A cartoon of a patient in a hospital bed with a nurse checking the IV.
Credit: NIH

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STRIVE is a group of research studies to investigate drugs and treatment strategies for adults in the hospital with respiratory or lung infection. The STRIVE study is currently enrolling participants in:

  • The Shionogi S-217622 Study, which compares an investigational antiviral drug called S-217622, or ensitrelvir, to a placebo to see if it will help adults in the hospital with COVID-19 respiratory infection get better and go home faster.

What Are the STRIVE Studies About?

A variety of different germs, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), may cause respiratory infections. STRIVE studies are designed to look at whether certain investigational drugs, licensed drugs, or treatment strategies may improve the health of adults in the hospital with respiratory infection due to specific germs.

STRIVE studies will help scientists answer many important questions about treatment of respiratory infections in adults in the hospital, including:

  • Are these study drugs effective when given in addition to the current standard treatment for the infection being studied?
  • Which treatment strategy is most effective for the infection being studied?
  • Are these study drugs or treatment strategies safe? 

Who Can Participate?

Each person who takes part in a STRIVE study must meet specific criteria, including:

  • Age: 18 years of age or older
  • Status: Currently in the hospital (or in the Emergency Department awaiting admission) because of a respiratory or lung infection
  • Each STRIVE study will have additional requirements that must also be met.

Research studies need participants from diverse backgrounds. STRIVE studies will be done at hundreds of hospitals in many countries around the world.  This will help doctors find treatments that are safe and work for more people.

Steps to Participate

Visit the webpage for each STRIVE study to see how to participate in that study:

Answers to Other Questions You Might Have

What Are Clinical Research Studies?

A clinical research study helps doctors find treatments that are safe and effective. It is important that these studies include people from diverse backgrounds. This helps researchers develop and test new treatments that will work for more people.

What Is a Placebo?

The placebo looks like the study drug but does not have any active drug in it. Placebos should not make someone feel better or worse. Researchers compare how people react to both placebos and study drugs to learn if the study drug is safe and helps to treat the disease being studied.

Can Participants Change Their Minds After Joining a Study?

Yes. Taking part in these studies is voluntary; it is each participant’s choice. Participants can change their mind at any time and leave the study. Leaving the study will not affect the medical care participants receive.

Participating in Research

Watch a series of short informational videos about participating in clinical trials. These videos are intended to help potential participants understand how research works, what questions they should consider asking, and things to think about when deciding whether or not to participate in a study.

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