The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) improves vascular capillarity, which plays an important role in the uncontrolled inflammatory reaction that happens in ARDS. As opposed to this event, angiogenic therapy (like bevacizumab) is known to contribute to normal vascularization, relevant for regaining vascular permeability. Studies in animal models have shown that treating ARDS with anti-VEGF therapy is effective.
Our hypothesis is that treating ARDS caused by COVID-19 with bevacizumab improves mortality. This is a phase II, multi-centered, randomized, open label, two-armed clinical trial to study the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab in COVID-19 positive patients who consequently developed ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and who have previously received anti-viral and anti-inflammatory treatment.