Can these drugs ease long COVID? new trial aims to find out

NCT ID NCT05513560

First seen Feb 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 20, 2026 · Updated 14 times

Summary

This Canadian trial tested two drugs, ibudilast and pentoxifylline, against a placebo in 460 adults with lingering COVID-19 symptoms. Participants took the drugs for 2 months and were followed for 4 more months to see if symptoms improved. The goal is to find safe, effective treatments for long COVID.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Mount Sinai Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  • The Ottawa Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

  • University Health Network, Osteoporosis Department

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Ibudilast and pentoxifylline

What this could lead to

If successful, this could point toward effective treatments to reduce long COVID symptoms and improve daily functioning.

What could go wrong

This is an early adaptive trial with no confirmed results yet. The drugs may not work better than placebo, and side effects are possible.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

long COVID-19

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.