Vitamin D and COVID-19: PharmaLinea review “sparks conversations” as UK clinical trial launches

20 Oct 2020 --- In addition to furthering scientific understanding, investigations into the vitamin D and COVID-19 association can be used as a strategic marketing tool for businesses.

PharmaLinea has released a literature review paper on the link between COVID-19 and vitamin D, which has sparked “one of the largest responses” the company has ever seen with any of its content.

Meanwhile, a clinical study called CoronaVit from the Queen Mary University, UK, will run for six months to investigate whether vitamin D protects against the virus.

NutritionInsight speaks with both parties about the impact such research endeavors can have on the nutrition and supplements industries.

Worth the cost?
PharmaLinea’s literature review on the link between COVID-19 and vitamin D highlights that “there is nothing to lose from supplementation or its promotion and potentially much to gain, especially for high-risk groups.”

“When we say there is nothing to lose from supplementation, we mean dosing within the limits recommended by local authorities,” Orešnik underlines.The investment of time and effort in compiling such a research review is “very much worth it if it helps our partners with their marketing,” says Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at PharmaLinea.

“If you provide simple me-too products, you don’t need to spend the resources for such reviews. You simply copy what’s on the market and try to do it at a competitive price. That’s not our angle, though. We aim to provide the cutting edge in clinically supported private label food supplements,” he explains.

This approach might deviate from the “the traditional way” private label providers operate, Ambrožič admits. 

However, the growing circumstantial evidence is now “sparking conversations,” he emphasizes.

“Our contact base is as cautious as demanding when it comes to clinical substantiation. From here, we proceed with addressing our partners’ and contacts’ questions and requests for video consultations. Because of the report, our scientific support team can now do what they do best.”

Careful with communication
The PharmaLinea review might encourage certain brands to launch or additionally promote vitamin D products, according to Maja Orešnik, science and research director at PharmaLinea.

“On the other hand, it might also encourage marketers to be careful with communication and claims. We also point out that it is impossible to confidently state that vitamin D supplementation aids in response to COVID-19 until more well-designed interventional studies deliver conclusive findings. We hope the result will be a healthy combination of both.”

“We have to be up to date on all the latest research to develop products with sufficient clinical support so our clients can promote them through medical detailing,” explains Ambrožič.Notably, the review cites the work of Adrian Martineau – the lead investigator of the current CoronaVit trial – several times. 

His previous studies emphasized that vitamin D supplementation can protect against acute respiratory tract infection and might also reduce the impact of COVID-19 in populations where vitamin D deficiency is prevalent. 

Clinical trials: The “gold standard”
Despite having achieved promising results in previous studies on vitamin D, Martineau tells NutritionInsight his CoronaVit research team is not hoping for a specific result, but rather taking an agnostic approach.

The half-year clinical trial will involve more than 5,000 people to determine whether a “test-and-treat” approach to correct people’s vitamin D deficiency during the winter months will reduce the risk and/or severity of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections.

The intervention that will be evaluated involves a postal finger prick vitamin D test, processed in a UK National Health Service (NHS) lab. Participants who are found to have low levels of vitamin D in their blood will then be given a six-month supply of either 800 or 3,200 IU of vitamin D a day.

People will take part in the study from their homes, without any face-to-face visits needed, as all vitamin D tests and supplements will be sent via the post.

The research team will then track the incidence of doctor-diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed acute respiratory infection in the participants, including COVID-19, to see whether vitamin D supplementation has affected their risk and severity of infection.

With clinical trials being “the gold standard,” he further notes their main strength is their large size. Also, the randomized design minimizes the potential for confounding factors to operate. “[Clinical trials are] pragmatic, so the results are easily generalizable,” notes Martineau.

Vitamin D supplementation concerns
The vitamin D efficacy debate is far from over, therefore necessitating more research. Vitamin D is understood to be low in cost and widely accessible, therefore potentially providing a significant aid in the global fight against the virus.

CoronaVit will involve more than 5,000 people for six months to find out whether vitamin D can reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections.In light of some evidence pointing to its efficacy, vitamin D was in the spotlight earlier this month when UK health minister Matt Hancock looked to hear about “all possible scientific advances that might be helpful,” in the fight against COVID-19. 

Hancock recently announced the UK government will be increasing the public messaging around vitamin D to make sure that people get the message that “vitamin D can help with broad health and that there is no downside to taking it, and therefore people should consider that.”

While two studies called for “urgent supplementation” in vulnerable groups in April, a study last week, however, warned that treating vitamin D as a medicine rather than as a key nutrient may jeopardize elderly care home residents’ health in the UK.

Moreover, researchers have expressed concerns about the high dosage recommendations aiming to address COVID-19.

Whether his clinical trial will impact the nutrition industry will ultimately depend on the final results, Martineau maintains. “If we show a benefit of vitamin D in our outcomes, then it will presumably not hurt sales of over-the-counter vitamin D supplements.”

In the meantime, the CoronaVit trial is continuing to recruit UK residents aged 16 and up.

By Anni Schleicher