NIH is funding new trials and biomarker studies, but patients are still asking: where are the solutions we can use today? (written 09/28/2025)

On September 8th-10th we joined the NIH RECOVER-Treating Long COVID (TLC) conference remotely. It’s encouraging to see that Long COVID remains a stated priority for NIH leadership and that funding is continuing to flow into clinical trials and research. The patient community’s voice was present and clear: urgency and scalable access to real solutions are needed. 

So, it’s disappointing to see research priorities continue to focus so heavily on pharmaceutical trials and biomarker development, while non-pharmaceutical interventions - which we know can make a real difference in people’s daily lives - are not the current focus. This is, afterall, what ThriveNinety exists to provide. We’ll continue to advocate for a more balanced approach that includes lifestyle, nervous system, and whole-person recovery strategies alongside biomedical research.

Key Updates from the Conference

• New clinical trials announced: NIH will fund trials of low-dose naltrexone (LDN), baricitinib, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and stellate ganglion blocks. These have generated mixed reactions—some hope, but also concern about safety and accessibility.

• Biomarker focus: A strong theme of the conference was the search for biomarkers - measurable biological signals that can help guide diagnosis, predict treatment response, or track recovery. Researchers shared promising leads, including immune system markers, viral persistence, and signs of microclotting. However, findings note that the presence of these markers is not always linked to Long COVID symptoms (people experiencing symptoms don’t always have given biomarkers, and biomarkers are present where people are asymptomatic), so further research is needed. While these advances may help stratify patients in the future, they don’t yet provide immediate answers.

• Pathobiology updates: Evidence continues to build that viral persistence, immune dysregulation, and nervous system dysfunction may all play roles in Long COVID. These findings echo what many people living with post-infection illness already know through lived experience. Again, not all markers were linked to people who are symptomatic for Long COVID, so further understanding is needed.

• Patient voices: Community members emphasized the need for urgency, inclusion of children and marginalized groups, and more accessible trial designs—especially for those most severely affected.

Our Takeaway

It’s heartening to see ongoing investment in understanding Long COVID. But we also see a gap: research that focuses almost exclusively on drugs and biomarkers risks overlooking what can already help people feel and function better today. Evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical interventions—nutrition, pacing, nervous system regulation, and whole-body approaches—deserve equal attention.

At ThriveNinety, we’ll continue to champion these strategies alongside emerging science. Recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all, and people living with Long COVID deserve a full toolbox.

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea