Contact: Caroline Cornish | caroline.cornish@mainehealth.org
PORTLAND, Maine – MaineHealth will be part of new clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate potential treatments for long-term symptoms after COVID-19 infection, including exercise intolerance and the worsening of symptoms following physical or mental exertion known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). The mid-stage trials are part of the NIH’s Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative that is enrolling participants across the United States to test treatments addressing viral persistence, neurological symptoms such as brain fog and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
The MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) is enrolling participants in two RECOVER-ENERGIZE clinical trials from now through July 2025 at its research site in Scarborough:
- One trial tests a program that combines exercise training, strength and flexibility training, education and social support, collectively known as personalized cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. The program is designed to help people who experience exercise intolerance with symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue during exercise after having COVID-19. Participants who are identified as having PEM, via a validated PEM questionnaire, will not be included in this trial, but will be offered a spot for the trial described below. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either personalized cardiopulmonary rehabilitation or basic exercise education for three months.
- The other trial tests a program known as structured pacing, which is designed to help participants with PEM identify, control and minimize symptoms that developed after having COVID-19 by regulating or pacing their daily activities. Currently, structured pacing is the only intervention used to treat PEM. The trial will not include any exercise training or physical movement to protect participants from developing worsened symptoms of PEM. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either structured pacing with a trained coach or basic PEM education for three months.
Both trials were developed using comprehensive feedback from the community and in close partnership with patient representatives. The PEM trial was developed to address concerns expressed by patient advocacy groups about patient safety and to better understand how this study program may help improve PEM symptoms.
“This NIH-sponsored intervention trial is a unique opportunity for individuals with Long COVID to participate in a program that may improve their exercise capacity,” said Dr. Clifford Rosen, principal investigator of the RECOVER observational study and the ENERGIZE interventional study at MaineHealth. “We hope that these studies will lead to treatments that can significantly improve these patients’ quality of life.”
With the launch of these two studies, MaineHealth is one of 50 RECOVER study sites nationwide that are investigating potential treatments for some of the most frequent and burdensome symptoms reported by people suffering from long COVID. MHIR also has participated in RECOVER’s PROMIS study, examining a possible cause of long COVID and in RECOVER’s early research examining common symptoms among those suffering from long COVID.
“MHIR’s participation in this important NIH-supported research is a clear example of how our care team lives the MaineHealth vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” said Dr. Doug Sawyer, MaineHealth’s chief academic officer. “The results of these studies into long COVID could have a tangible impact on the lives of our neighbors and those suffering from long COVID worldwide.”
RECOVER is testing 13 treatments across eight clinical trials and continues to enroll participants across the country. Those interested in learning more about RECOVER clinical trials should visit trials.recovercovid.org.
To learn more about how to join one of the studies at MaineHealth, contact Kathryn Stevens, RN, FNP at ENERGIZE@mainehealth.org.
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About MaineHealth
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.
About RECOVER
The National Institutes of Health Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (NIH RECOVER) Initiative brings together clinicians, scientists, caregivers, patients, and community members to understand, diagnose, and treat long COVID. RECOVER has created one of the largest and most diverse groups of long COVID study participants in the world. In addition, RECOVER clinical trials are testing potential interventions across five symptom focus areas. For more information, please visit recovercovid.org.