The COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group (CPTG) was an ad hoc external advisory group convened by the Public Health Agency of Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group's work concluded on March 30, 2021 officially "because of the welcome entry of effective and safe vaccines to the Canadian health care system."[1]
The group met several times and released statements on COVID-19 therapeutics.
Remdesivir: “The CPTH recommends that remdesivir should only be administered as part of a randomized controlled trial to monitor whether potential benefits of remdesivir outweigh known and potential risks in the treatment of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.”[2]
Hydroxychloroquine: "The CPTH “recommends against the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for patients with COVID-19 due to negligible evidence of efficacy and significant potential for harm leading to a high risk to benefit ratio. This guidance is not meant to replace clinical judgement or specialist consultation.”[3]
Dexamethasone: The CPTH “recommends that among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who require supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation, dexamethasone 6 mg IV for 10 days (or until discharge, if earlier) or equivalent glucocorticoid dose should be strongly considered. This guidance is not meant to replace clinical judgment or specialist consultation.”[4]
| Name | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Salvadori | Co-Chair[5] | Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) |
| Michael Rieder | Co-Chair | University of Western Ontario |
| Marie Lordkipanidze | External Expert | University of Montreal |
| Richard Hall | External Expert | Dalhousie University |
| Micheline Piquette-Miller | External Expert | University of Toronto |
| Abby Collier | External Expert | University of British Columbia (UBC) |
| Srinivas Murthy | External Expert | University of British Columbia (UBC) |
| Jonathan Kimmelman | External Expert | McGill University |
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021, June 15). COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. Government of Canada. http://archive.today/2022.04.01-013805/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/external-advisory-bodies/list/covid-19-clinical-pharmacology-task-group.html%23a3 ↩︎
Forbes, N., Patel, M., Rieder, M., & Salvadori, M. (2020, November 23). Statement on remdesivir: Ad-hoc COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. Government of Canada. https://web.archive.org/web/20201227053515/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/external-advisory-bodies/list/covid-19-clinical-pharmacology-task-group/statement-remdesivir.html ↩︎
Forbes, N., Patel, M., Rieder, M., & Salvadori, M. (2020, October 22). Statement on hydroxychloroquine: COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. Government of Canada. http://archive.today/2020.11.12-041820/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/external-advisory-bodies/list/covid-19-clinical-pharmacology-task-group/statement-hydroxycholoroquine.html ↩︎
Forbes, N., Patel, M., Rieder, M., & Salvadori, M. (2020, November 23). Statement on dexamethasone: COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. Government of Canada. http://archive.today/2020.12.27-053419/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/external-advisory-bodies/list/covid-19-clinical-pharmacology-task-group/statement-dexamethasone.html%23a5 ↩︎
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021, June 15). Ad-hoc COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group: Terms of reference. Government of Canada. http://archive.today/2023.07.10-012445/https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/mandate/about-agency/external-advisory-bodies/list/covid-19-clinical-pharmacology-task-group/terms-reference.html%23a31 ↩︎