Biotest Aktiengesellschaft announced the completion of recruitment for its ESsCOVID (Escape from severe COVID-19) trial in patients with severe COVID-19. total of 166 adult patients with severe COVID-19 were enrolled in this multinational confirmatory phase II clinical trial. These are patients with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) admitted to hospital due to the severity of their disease. After confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and presence of a strong inflammatory response, the patients were treated either with trimodulin or placebo as add-on therapy to standard of care. An independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) reviewed the data from the first 100 patients who completed the trial. The DSMB did not detect any safety signal and recommended to continue the clinical trial according to protocol. Biotest therefore expects a favourable benefit-risk profile for trimodulin. The clinical concept of this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled confirmatory phase II trial was developed according to the expectations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) after a so-called "Rapid Scientific Advice". All patients will have completed the trial by end of June and first data is expected for August 2021. If supported by the trial outcome, Biotest aims for an expedited approval of trimodulin to rapidly respond to the need for novel treatment options for patients with severe COVID-19. Biotest's development product is a worldwide unique, innovative antibody preparation. Trimodulin treatment has already demonstrated promising results in a phase II clinical trial with 160 invasive mechanically ventilated patients suffering from severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) with a strong inflammatory response (CIGMA trial). Trimodulin counteracts the dysregulated inflammatory responses observed in COVID-19 without suppressing the immune system.