FOX 35 EXCLUSIVE: Central Florida research company selected for COVID-19 treatment trial

MAITLAND, Fla. - If you've tested positive recently for COVID-19, you can now sign up for a trial looking at a new way to treat coronavirus.

A company that primarily focuses on Alzheimer's and dementia research trials has added a new focus on COVID-19 because the need was too big to ignore.

"We have all our PPE (personal protective equipment) here, so we’re keeping track of everything."

ClinCloud CEO Jessica Branning showed FOX 35 through her company's new space after being selected for a COVID-19 clinical trial.

This one is not for a vaccine, it's for a treatment. 

"There’s nothing out there. There’s no other treatment that’s available for COVID-19. It’s more of a 'let’s sit and wait for 14 days and hope that you’re feeling okay,'" Branning said.

The treatment is a one-time infusion of what's called "monoclonal antibodies," which are made in a lab.

"The monoclonal antibodies have been tested before in many other types of studies, including Alzheimer’s Disease," said Dr. Esteban Olivera, ClinCloud's principal investigator.

That means doctors are familiar with these antibodies and aren't too worried about side effects. 

The infusion takes about an hour.

Patients in the study will then be monitored for the next four weeks with regular swab tests tracking positivity.

"The question will be clinically what happens to the patients when they receive this," Dr. Olivera said.

To participate, you need to be at least 18 years old and have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 72 hours.

The clinical research company, based in Maitland, created a whole new team entirely dedicated to COVID-19.