Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $1,015,686.03 to the Charak Foundation to fund the initial stages of a clinical trial of ramatroban for the suppression of life-threatening symptoms of COVID-19 infections.
Ramatroban is a pill approved for sale and use against allergic rhinitis in Japan, and has been used for over twenty years without incident. The trial will involve the recruitment of people who have been admitted to hospitals with COVID-19. The treatment cohort will be followed for 4-6 months to assess outcomes that include mortality, hypoxemia, length of hospital stay, cytopenia, pulmonary fibrosis, and symptoms related to “long COVID.”
This falls within our focus area of scientific research, and specifically within our interest in advancing human health and wellbeing.
The grant amount was updated in May 2025.