Who is eligible for clinical trial NCT04374461?

Participants must meet protocol criteria for Covid-19. Confirm exact inclusion and exclusion requirements with the study coordinator.

Does clinical trial NCT04374461 provide travel or cost reimbursement?

Check with the site coordinator at the participating facility for travel and lodging stipend availability, and for which routine-care costs are covered.

🏛️ Verified NIH Record • Updated 2026-04-30

A Study of N-acetylcysteine in Patients With COVID-19 Infection (NCT04374461)

🔵 Active, Not Recruiting Phase2 💊 Investigational Drug / Biologic Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)

The study researchers think that a medication called N-acetylcysteine can help fight the COVID-19 virus by boosting a type of cell in your immune system that attacks infections. By helping your immune system fight the virus, the researchers think that the infection will get better, which could allow the patient to be moved out of the critical care unit or go off a ventilator, or prevent them from moving into a critical care unit or going on a ventilator. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved N-acetylcysteine to treat the liver side effects resulting from an overdose of the anti-inflammatory medication Tylenol® (acetaminophen). N-acetylcysteine is also used to loosen the thick mucus in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study is the first to test N-acetylcysteine in people with severe COVID-19 infections.

Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (6 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (2 items).

Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — New York, New York

📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener

Instant Checklist

Check every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).

Documented COVID-19 infection (either performed on site or documented external report)
Age ≥ 18 Arm A:
Admission to an intensive care unit at MSK (M-11) and/or receiving mechanical ventilation
Absolute lymphocyte count ≤ 1.0/mm3
As the ALC of patients with lymphoid malignancies is unreliable, they may be enrolled at the discretion of the treating physician after review of their blood work. Arm B:
Arm B:Requiring 2L or more of supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula or higher to maintain SpO2 of 95%

Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:

Exclusion Criteria: Arm B:
requiring mechanical ventilation or admission to an intensive care unit at MSK (M11)

🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.

📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — New York, New York

💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights

100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.

🏛️ View Official NIH Record ↗