Cincinnati Public Radio: Researchers Zeroing In On Blood Vessels to Prevent COVID 'Long-Haulers'
UC physicians discuss clinical trial designed to help COVID patients
Richard Becker, MD, and Duncan Hite, MD, both professors in the UC College of Medicine and UC Health physicians, spoke with WVXU reporter Ann Thompson about a phase 2 clinical trial underway at UC/UC Health to determine the safety and efficacy of the drug razuprotafib in treating COVID-19 patients. UC is one of 20 sites across the nation participating in the trial.
Researchers say this drug could possibly prevent "long-haulers syndrome." Razuprotafib is already used to treat diabetes and renal disease. By zeroing in on blood vessels to make them healthier, it's hoped COVID patients can benefit, too. Becker, director of the UC Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute, and Hite, director of medical critical care at UC Health, are part of a clinical trial conducted by Aerpio Pharmaceuticals.
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.