Study: COVID-19 Patients Treated With Hepatitis Drugs Discharged Early

The combination of Sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, commonly used for the treatment of hepatitis C, has shown promise in reducing the chance of death among hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Three articles all researched the use of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir for the treatment of COVID-19. These three studies come from Iran, which has developed its own pill containing sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, and is in a position to test this in a large clinical trial as Iran is a massively impacted country, reporting some 2,500 cases and 200 deaths a day.

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According to the scientists, 94 per cent of hospitalised COVID-19 patients who were given a combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir reported reduced fever and improved breathing, as against 70 per cent of those who did not get this drug combination.

"Despite the encouraging initial results, it is too early to reach a verdict. Larger, well-designed studies are required to confirm our results," said Shahin Merat, the lead author of one of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy articles, from Tehran University in Iran.

Thus far, no effective antiviral therapy has been found to treat COVID-19.

The aim of the trials was to assess if the addition of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir improved clinical outcomes in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19.

In one trial, researchers recruited 66 patients and allocated them to either the treatment group or the control group. Clinical recovery within 14 days was achieved by 88% in the treatment group and 67% in the control group.

The treatment group had a significantly shorter median duration of hospitalisation (six days) than the control group (eight days). Cumulative incidence of hospital discharge was significantly higher in the treatment group versus control. Three patients died in the treatment group and five in the control group.

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No serious adverse events were reported. In another study, subjects suffering from COVID-19 were divided into two groups with one group receiving ribavirin and the other receiving sofosbuvir/daclatasvir. All participants also received the recommended national standard treatment which, at that time, was lopinavir/ritonavir and single-dose hydroxychloroquine.

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The results indicated that median duration of stay was five days for the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group and nine days for the ribavirin group. The mortality in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group was 6% and 33% for the ribavirin group. The relative risk of death for patients treated with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir was 0.17%.

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The results of these studies suggest that the addition of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir to standard care may reduce the duration of hospital stays for COVID-19 patients compared to standard care alone.

Earlier, a study published in the journal The Lancet found that hepatitis C virus drugs may be effective in treating patients with COVID-19.

Disclaimer: While there have been several different types of treatments being given to COVID-19 patients across the world, there isn't any one drug that has worked as a sure-shot treatment yet. Don't self medicate/stock up and always consult your doctor/medical health professional.

All inputs IANS