Sami-Sabinsa's flagship combination product, Curcumin C3 Complex® with BioPerine® (525mg/2.5 mg twice a day, 14 days), was used as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 in a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on COVID-19 patients in India, where the wide-spread virus infection has strained the healthcare system.

The trial involved a total of 140 patients with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms of COVID-19 in a hospital exclusively for COVID-19 patients. While mild/moderately symptomatic patients were admitted to the wards, patients with severe symptoms were in the hospital's intensive-care unit. The treatment outcome was gauged by the pre-defined primary and secondary outcome measures.

Patients in the group who received the Curcumin C3 Complex® + BioPerine® adjuvant treatment showed quicker symptomatic recovery (of fever, cough, sore throat, breathlessness), had a lower incidence of red-flag signs, and better ability to maintain oxygen saturation >94% on room air only. The D-dimer levels were less severe in C3-group than in the non-C3-group. While some patients in the moderate non-C3 group needed Tocilizumab injections, none in the corresponding moderate C3-group required such intervention. Fewer in the C3-group needed mechanical ventilator support or suffered thromboembolic episodes than in the non-C3 group.

Further details can be found in the paper published in Frontiers in Pharmacology which concluded that oral curcuminoids/piperine combination as adjuvant therapy in COVID-19 treatment could reduce morbidity and mortality and ease the logistical and supply-related burdens on the healthcare system. The authors further stated that this was the first study on curcuminoids/piperine combination on COVID-19 patients.

"While larger trials will be needed to establish the findings of the study on a firmer footing, it is gratifying to learn of these promising preliminary results," said Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Founder and Chairman of Sami-Sabinsa Group.

The study may be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.669362