Mitoquinone/Mitoquinol Mesylate as Oral and Safe Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19

Q: What is the NCT05886816 clinical trial studying?

Adults who do not have major health, kidney, gastrointestinal disease will be randomized to receive oral mitoquinone/mitoquinol mesylate (Mito-MES) versus placebo to prevent the development and progression of COVID-19 after high-risk exposure to a person with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Q: Who can participate in NCT05886816?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

Q: How do I contact the trial site for NCT05886816?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Q: Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Q: Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

Mitoquinone/Mitoquinol Mesylate as Oral and Safe Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 (NCT05886816) is a Phase 2 interventional studying SARS-CoV Infection and COVID-19, sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against SARS-CoV Infection and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 112 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused SARS-CoV Infection subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: Age 18-65 years old Asymptomatic (no symptoms of viral infection) on study entry High risk exposure without use of masks to confirmed case of COVID-19 Members in a household one of which is a confirmed case of COVID-19 Negative baseline SARS-COV-2 diagnostic test Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Women with variations in physiological functions due to hormones that may effect immune function and (transgender, pregnant, breastfeeding) - Specific significant clinical diseases \[cardiovascular disease (such as coronary artery/vascular disease), heart disease (such as congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation), lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusions), kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate or GFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), liver disease (such as cirrhosis, hepatitis), major immunosuppression (such as history of transplantation, uncontrolled HIV infection, cancer on active chemotherapy\] based on history. Participants with well controlled HIV (CD4 count \> 500 cells/mm\^3 and HIV viral load \< 50 copies/ml) and people with remote history of cancer not on active treatment will be allowed to participate. - History of known gastrointestinal disease (such as gastroparesis) that may predispose patients to nausea - History of auto-immune diseases - Chronic viral hepatitis - Use of systemic immunomodulatory medications (e.g. steroids) within 4 weeks of enrollment - Any participant who has received any investigational drug within 30 days of dosing - History of underlying cardiac arrhythmia - History of severe recent cardiac or pulmonary event - A history of a hypersensitivity reaction to any components of the study drug or structurally similar compounds including Coenzyme Q10 and idebenone - Unable to swallow tablets - Use of any investigational products within 4 weeks of enrollment ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-65 years old Asymptomatic (no symptoms of viral infection) on study entry High risk exposure without use of masks to confirmed case of COVID-19 Members in a household one of which is a confirmed case of COVID-19 Negative baseline SARS-COV-2 diagnostic test Exclusion Criteria: * Women with variations in physiological functions due to hormones that may effect immune function and (transgender, pregnant, breastfeeding) * Specific significant clinical diseases \[cardiovascular disease (such as coronary artery/vascular disease), heart disease (such as congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation), lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusions), kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate or GFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), liver disease (such as cirrhosis, hepatitis), major immunosuppression (such as history of transplantation, uncontrolled HIV infection, cancer on active chemotherapy\] based on history. Participants with well controlled HIV (CD4 count \> 500 cells/mm\^3 and HIV viral load \< 50 copies/ml) and people with remote history of cancer not on active treatment will be allowed to participate. * History of known gastrointestinal disease (such as gastroparesis) that may predispose patients to nausea * History of auto-immune diseases * Chronic viral hepatitis * Use of systemic immunomodulatory medications (e.g. steroids) within 4 weeks of enrollment * Any participant who has received any investigational drug within 30 days of dosing * History of underlying cardiac arrhythmia * History of severe recent cardiac or pulmonary event * A history of a hypersensitivity reaction to any components of the study drug or structurally similar compounds including Coenzyme Q10 and idebenone * Unable to swallow tablets * Use of any investigational products within 4 weeks of enrollment * Any other clinical condition or prior therapy that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient unsuitable for the study or unable to comply with the study requirements. * Eligible for other FDA approved treatment for post-exposure prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 * Use of Coenzyme Q10 or Vitamin E \< 120 days from enrollment

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Mitoquinone/mitoquinol mesylate

Mitochondrial antioxidant

OTHER

Placebo

Placebo pills

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT05886816), the sponsor (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT05886816 clinical trial studying?

Adults who do not have major health, kidney, gastrointestinal disease will be randomized to receive oral mitoquinone/mitoquinol mesylate (Mito-MES) versus placebo to prevent the development and progression of COVID-19 after high-risk exposure to a person with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT05886816?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT05886816?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT05886816. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT05886816. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.