Review of Emerging Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has evolved into an emergent global pandemic. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can manifest on a spectrum of illness from mild disease to severe respiratory failure requiring intensive care unit admission. As the incidence continues to rise at a rapid pace, critical care teams are faced with challenging treatment decisions. There is currently no widely accepted standard of care in the pharmacologic management of patients with COVID-19. Urgent identification of potential treatment strategies is a priority. Therapies include novel agents available in clinical trials or through compassionate use, and other drugs, repurposed antiviral and immunomodulating therapies. Many have demonstrated in vitro or in vivo potential against other viruses that are similar to SARS-CoV-2. Critically ill patients with COVID-19 have additional considerations related to adjustments for organ impairment and renal replacement therapies, complex lists of concurrent medications, limitations with drug administration and compatibility, and unique toxicities that should be evaluated when utilizing these therapies. The purpose of this review is to summarize practical considerations for pharmacotherapy in patients with COVID-19, with the intent of serving as a resource for health care providers at the forefront of clinical care during this pandemic.

Effect of a combination of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus zinc supplement (MANS.NRIZ study) on the clearance of mild COVID-19.

This trial compared the rate and time of viral clearance in subjects receiving a combination of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus Zinc versus those receiving supportive treatment. This non-randomized controlled trial included 62 patients on the triple combination treatment versus 51 age- and sex-matched patients on routine supportive treatment. all of them confirmed cases by positive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction of a nasopharyngeal swab. Trial results showed that the clearance rates were 0% and 58.1% on the 7th day and 13.7% and 73.1% on the 15th day in the supportive treatment and combined antiviral groups, respectively. The cumulative clearance rates on the 15th day are 13.7% and 88.7% in the supportive treatment and combined antiviral groups, respectively. This trial concluded by stating that the combined use of nitazoxanide, ribavirin, and ivermectin plus zinc supplement effectively cleared the SARS-COV2 from the nasopharynx in a shorter time than symptomatic therapy.

Efficacy of ribavirin and interferon-α therapy for hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of ribavirin and interferon-α (RBV/IFN-α) therapy in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients admitted to 4 hospitals in Hubei Province, China, from 31 December 2019 to 31 March 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their exposure to RBV/IFN-α therapy within 48 h of admission. Mixed-effect Cox model and Logistic regression were used to explore the association between early treatments of RBV/IFN-α and primary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 2037 patients included, 1281 received RBV/IFN-α (RBV, IFN-α or RBV combined with IFN-α) treatments and 756 received none of these treatments. In a mixed effect model, RBV/IFN-α therapy was not associated with progression from non-severe into severe type (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.88-1.36) or with reduction in 30-day mortality (aHR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.61-1.30). However, it was associated with a higher probability of hospital stay >15 days (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.68-2.64) compared with no RBV/IFN-α therapy. The propensity score-matched cohort and subgroup analysis displayed similar results. CONCLUSION: RBV/IFN-α therapy was not observed to improve clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients suggesting that RBV/IFN-α therapy should be avoided in COVID-19 treatment.

The index case of COVID-19 in Northeastern Iran.

The index case of COVID-19 in Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi Province in northeastern Iran, was an 80-year-old man with a history of psycho-neurological illness and acute respiratory clinical symptoms, and a history of travel to areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gorgan City. He was identified on February 16, 2020, and his laboratory diagnosis was made on February 26, 2020. The patient was hospitalized and discharged after complete recovery. The contacts of the patient were traced, revealing the infection of his 30-year-old son with milder symptoms of COVID-19, which was confirmed through a laboratory test on April 4, 2020 and was recommended for home quarantine. Other family members had no signs of COVID-19.

Safety and Efficacy of Ixekizumab and Antiviral Treatment for Patients with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: A severe epidemic of COVID-19 has broken out in China and has become a major global public health event. We focus on the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)-like changes and overactivation of Th17 cells (these produce cytokines) in patients with COVID-19. We aim to explore the safety and efficacy of ixekizumab (an injectable drug for the treatment of autoimmune diseases) to prevent organ injury caused by the immune response to COVID-19. Ixekizumab is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to interleukin-17A and inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. TRIAL DESIGN: The experiment is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the open trial, 3 patients with COVID-19 are treated with ixekizumab, and the safety and efficacy are observed for 7 days. In the second stage, 40 patients with COVID-19 are randomly divided into two groups at 1:1 for 14 days. This is a two-center, open-label, randomized controlled pilot trial with 2-arm parallel group design (1:1 ratio). PARTICIPANTS: Patients with COVID-19 aged 18-75 with increased Interleukin (IL)-6 levels will be enrolled, but patients with severe infections requiring intensive care will be excluded. The trial will be undertaken in two centers. The first stage is carried out in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, and the second stage is carried out simultaneously in the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: In the first stage, three subjects are given ixekizumab ("Taltz") (80 mg/ml, 160 mg as a single hypodermic injection) and antiviral therapy (α-interferon (administer 5 million U by aerosol inhalation twice daily), lopinavir/ritonavir (administer 100mg by mouth twice daily, for the course of therapy no more than 10 days), chloroquine (administer 500mg by mouth twice daily, for the course of therapy no more than 10 days), ribavirin (administer 500mg by intravenous injection two to three times a day, for the course of therapy no more than 10 days), or arbidol (administer 200mg by mouth three times a day, for the course of therapy no more than 10 days), but not more than 3 types). The treatment course of the first stage is 7 days. In the second stage, 40 randomized patients will receive the following treatments--Group 1: ixekizumab (80 mg/ml, 160 mg as a single hypodermic injection) with antiviral therapy (the same scheme as in the first stage); Group 2: antiviral therapy alone (the same scheme as in the first stage). The length of the second treatment course is 14 days. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcome is a change in pulmonary CT severity score (an imaging tool for assessing COVID-19, which scores on the basis of all abnormal areas involved). Pulmonary CT severity score is assessed on the 7th day, 14th day, or at discharge. RANDOMISATION: In the second stage, 40 patients with COVID-19 are randomly divided into two groups at 1:1 for 14 days. The eLite random system of Nanjing Medical University is used for randomization. BLINDING (MASKING): The main efficacy indicator, the CT results, will be evaluated by the third-party blinded and independent research team. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMISED (SAMPLE SIZE): In the second stage, 40 patients with COVID-19 are randomly divided into two groups at 1:1 for 14 days. TRIAL STATUS: Trial registration number is ChiCTR2000030703 (version 1.7 as of March 19, 2020). The recruitment is ongoing, and the date recruitment was initiated in June 2020. The anticipated date of the end of data collection is June 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The name of the trial register is the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. The trial registration number is ChiCTR2000030703 ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/ ). The date of trial registration is 10 March 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest of expediting the dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. The study protocol has been reported in accordance with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Clinical Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines (Additional file 2).

Safety and efficacy of antiviral combination therapy in symptomatic patients of Covid-19 infection - a randomised controlled trial (SEV-COVID Trial): A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: 1. To compare the safety and efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine with Ribavirin and standard treatment in patients with non-severe COVID-19 infection 2. To compare the safety and efficacy of standard treatment, Lopinavir-ritonavir with Ribavarin, and Hydroxychloroquine with Ribavirin in patients with severe COVID-19 infection TRIAL DESIGN: The study is an Open label, Parallel arm design, stratified randomised controlled trial. Patients will be categorised as non-severe or severe based on predefined criteria. Those who satisfy all inclusion criteria and no exclusion criteria in the respective categories, will be randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups in a ratio of 1:1 in the non-severe category and 1:1:1 in the severe category. PARTICIPANTS: The trial will be undertaken in a tertiary care center of the country where both Covid and non-Covid patients are getting treated. All patients who are confirmed positive and admitted will be screened for the eligibility criteria and will be enrolled in the study after a written informed consent. Patients will be categorised as non-severe or severe based on predefined criteria. INCLUSION CRITERIA (ALL REQUIRED): 1. Age ≥18 years at time of participation in the study 2. Laboratory (RT-PCR) confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 3. Symptomatic (severe or non-severe) Covid-19 disease 4. Willingness of study participant to accept randomization to any assigned treatment arm EXCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Use of medications that are contraindicated with Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Hydroxychloroquine/Chloroquine, or Ribavirin and that cannot be replaced or stopped 2. Patient already on antiretroviral therapy with Lopinavir-Ritonavir based regimen or on Hydroxychloroquine/Chloroquine or on Ribavirin 3. Any known contraindication to test drugs such as retinopathy and QT prolongation 4. Known allergic reaction or inability to take orally of Lopinavir-ritonavir, Hydroxychloroquine/ Chloroquine, Ribavarin 5. Pregnant or breastfeeding females 6. Receipt of any experimental treatment for 2019-nCoV (off-label, compassionate use, or trial related) within 30 days prior to participation in the present study or want to participate after enrolment INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Two therapeutic interventions for non-severe category and three for severe category as described below NON-SEVERE TREATMENT ARMS (NS-GROUP): Treatment Arm Drug A Standard Treatment (STNS) B Hydroxychloroquine 400 mg twice on first day followed by 400 mg per oral daily for 10 days + Ribavirin (1.2 g orally as a loading dose followed by 600mg orally every 12 hours) for 10 days + Standard Treatment (STNS) Standard Treatment for non-severe cases (STNS): Strict Isolation, Standard Precautions (Hand hygiene, Cough Etiquette, Wear surgical mask), Hydration, Proper Nutrition, Supportive Pharmacotherapy (Antipyretic, Antiallergic, Cough Suppressant), Treatment of Comorbid Diseases, Oseltamivir (75 mg BD) for patients who are tested positive for H1N1. SEVERE GROUP TREATMENT ARMS (S-GROUP): Treatment Arm Drug A Standard Treatment (STs) B Hydroxychloroquine 400mg BD on day1 followed by 400 mg once daily + Ribavirin (1.2 g orally as a loading dose followed by 600mg orally every 12 hours) for 10 days + Standard Treatment (STs) C Lopinavir(200mg) + Ritonavir (50mg) two tablets twice daily+ Ribavirin (1.2g orally as a loading dose followed by 600mg orally every 12 hours) for 10 days + Standard Treatment (STs)6 Standard Treatment for severe patients (STs): Strict Isolation, Standard Precautions (Hand hygiene, Cough Etiquette, Wear surgical mask), Fluid Therapy, Supportive Pharmacotherapy (Antipyretic, Antiallergic, Cough Suppressant), Oxygen supplementation (As required), Invasive ventilation (As required), Antibiotic agents for other associated infections (according to 2019 ATS/IDSA guidelines for non-ICU and ICU patients), Vasopressor support, Renal-replacement therapy, Treatment of Comorbid Diseases, Oseltamivir (75 mg BD) for patients who are tested positive for H1N1. MAIN OUTCOMES: Primary endpoints: (1) Time to Clinical recovery (TTCR) defined as the time (in hours) from initiation of study treatment (active or placebo) until normalisation of fever, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and alleviation of cough, sustained for at least 72 hours. (2) Time to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative in upper respiratory tract specimen, time to laboratory recovery of each organ involvement. Secondary Endpoints: All causes mortality, Frequency of respiratory progression (defined as SPO2≤ 94% on room air or PaO2/FiO2 <300mmHg and requirement for supplemental oxygen or more advanced ventilator support), time to defervescence (in those with fever at enrolment), frequency of requirement for supplemental oxygen or non-invasive ventilation, frequency of requirement for mechanical ventilation, frequency of serious adverse events as per DAIDS table grade of severity. Outcomes are monitored for 28 days from the time of enrolment into the study OR until the patient is discharged or death whichever is longer. RANDOMIZATION: The randomization will be done using a secured central computer-based randomization using a secure website using a central, computer-based randomisation program in a ratio of 1:1 in the non-severe category and 1:1:1 in the severe category. BLINDING (MASKING): This is an open labelled study i.e. Study assigned treatment will be known to the research team, the investigators and participants. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMISED (SAMPLE SIZE): Since it is an exploratory trial as COVID-19 being a new disease, all patients who came under the purview of the inclusion criteria within the study period (5 months duration of the recruitment period of the total 6 months duration of the study i.e. from the month of June, 2020 to October 2020) and who have consented for the study will be included. TRIAL STATUS: Protocol version:1.0 Recruitment start: June 3rd, 2020 (Ongoing) Recruitment finish (expected): October 31st, 2020 TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI): CTRI/2020/06/025575 . Registration on 03 June 2020 FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Assessment of the Potential Adverse Events Related to Ribavirin-Interferon Combination for Novel Coronavirus Therapy.

PURPOSE: We aimed to analyze and evaluate the safety signals of ribavirin-interferon combination through data mining of the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), so as to provide reference for the rationale use of these agents in the management of relevant toxicities emerging in patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). METHODS: Reports to the FAERS from 1 January 2004 to 8 March 2020 were analyzed. The proportion of report ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), and Bayesian confidence interval progressive neural network (BCPNN) method were used to detect the safety signals. RESULTS: A total of 55 safety signals were detected from the top 250 adverse event reactions in 2200 reports, but 19 signals were not included in the drug labels. All the detected adverse event reactions were associated with 13 System Organ Classes (SOC), such as gastrointestinal, blood and lymph, hepatobiliary, endocrine, and various nervous systems. The most frequent adverse events were analyzed, and the results showed that females were more likely to suffer from anemia, vomiting, neutropenia, diarrhea, and insomnia. CONCLUSION: The ADE (adverse drug event) signal detection based on FAERS is helpful to clarify the potential adverse events related to ribavirin-interferon combination for novel coronavirus therapy; clinicians should pay attention to the adverse reactions of gastrointestinal and blood systems, closely monitor the fluctuations of the platelet count, and carry out necessary mental health interventions to avoid serious adverse events.

The impact of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir or ribavirin in patients with severe COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Sofosbuvir and daclatasvir are direct-acting antivirals highly effective against hepatitis C virus. There is some in silico and in vitro evidence that suggests these agents may also be effective against SARS-CoV-2. This trial evaluated the effectiveness of sofosbuvir in combination with daclatasvir in treating patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR or bilateral multi-lobar ground-glass opacity on their chest CT and signs of severe COVID-19 were included. Subjects were divided into two arms with one arm 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. The primary endpoint was time from starting the medication until discharge from hospital with secondary endpoints of duration of ICU stay and mortality. RESULTS: Sixty-two subjects met the inclusion criteria, with 35 enrolled in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir arm and 27 in the ribavirin arm. The median duration of stay was 5 days for the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group and 9 days for the ribavirin group. The mortality in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group was 2/35 (6%) and 9/27 (33%) for the ribavirin group. The relative risk of death for patients treated with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir was 0.17 (95% CI 0.04-0.73, P = 0.02) and the number needed to treat for benefit was 3.6 (95% CI 2.1-12.1, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Given these encouraging initial results, and the current lack of treatments proven to decrease mortality in COVID-19, further investigation in larger-scale trials seems warranted.

Evaluation of the efficacy of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir in combination with ribavirin for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate disease compared with standard care: a single-centre, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: New therapeutic options are urgently needed to tackle the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Repurposing existing pharmaceuticals provides an immediate treatment opportunity. We assessed the efficacy of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir with ribavirin for treating patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This was a single-centre, randomized controlled trial in adults with moderate COVID-19 admitted to the Ghaem Shahr Razi Hospital in Mazandaran Province, Iran. Patients were randomly assigned to 400 mg sofosbuvir, 60 mg daclatasvir and 1200 mg ribavirin (intervention group) or to standard care (control group). The primary endpoint of this study was length of hospital stay. This study is registered by IRCT.ir under the ID: IRCT20200328046886N1. RESULTS: Between 20 March 2020 and 8 April 2020, 48 patients were recruited; 24 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 24 to the control group. The median duration of hospital stay was 6 days in both groups (P = 0.398). The number of ICU admissions in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin group was not significantly lower than the control group (0 versus 4, P = 0.109). There was no difference in the number of deaths between the groups (0 versus 3, P = 0.234). The cumulative incidence of recovery was higher in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin arm (Gray's P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: This randomized trial was too small to make definitive conclusions. There were trends in favour of the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin arm for recovery and lower death rates. However, there was an imbalance in the baseline characteristics between the arms. Larger randomized trials should be conducted to investigate this treatment further.

Interactions Between Remdesivir, Ribavirin, Favipiravir, Galidesivir, Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine with Fragment Molecular of the COVID-19 Main Protease with Inhibitor N3 Complex (PDB ID:6LU7) Using Molecular Docking.

We started a study on the molecular docking of six potential pharmacologically active inhibitors compounds that can be used clinically against the COVID-19 virus, in this case, remdesivir, ribavirin, favipiravir, galidesivir, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine interacting with the main COVID-19 protease in complex with a COVID-19 N3 protease inhibitor. The highest values of affinity energy found in order from highest to lowest were chloroquine (CHL), hydroxychloroquine (HYC), favipiravir (FAV), galidesivir (GAL), remdesivir (REM) and ribavirin (RIB). The possible formation of hydrogen bonds, associations through London forces and permanent electric dipole were analyzed. The values of affinity energy obtained for the hydroxychloroquine ligands was -9.9 kcal/mol and for the chloroquine of -10.8 kcal/mol which indicate that the coupling contributes to an effective improvement of the affinity energies with the protease. Indicating that, the position chosen to make the substitutions may be a pharmacophoric group, and cause changes in the protease.

Liver injury is independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Data on serial liver biochemistries of patients infected by different human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are lacking. The impact of liver injury on adverse clinical outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients remains unclear. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study using data from a territory-wide database in Hong Kong. COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and other HCoV patients were identified by diagnosis codes and/or virological results. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation was defined as ALT/AST ≥2 × upper limit of normal (ie, 80 U/L). The primary end point was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, use of invasive mechanical ventilation and/or death. RESULTS: We identified 1040 COVID-19 patients (mean age 38 years, 54% men), 1670 SARS patients (mean age 44 years, 44% men) and 675 other HCoV patients (mean age 20 years, 57% men). ALT/AST elevation occurred in 50.3% SARS patients, 22.5% COVID-19 patients and 36.0% other HCoV patients. For COVID-19 patients, 53 (5.1%) were admitted to ICU, 22 (2.1%) received invasive mechanical ventilation and 4 (0.4%) died. ALT/AST elevation was independently associated with primary end point (adjusted OR (aOR) 7.92, 95% CI 4.14 to 15.14, p<0.001) after adjusted for albumin, diabetes and hypertension. Use of lopinavir-ritonavir ±ribavirin + interferon beta (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.13, p=0.006) and corticosteroids (aOR 3.92, 95% CI 2.14 to 7.16, p<0.001) was independently associated with ALT/AST elevation. CONCLUSION: ALT/AST elevation was common and independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Use of lopinavir-ritonavir, with or without ribavirin, interferon beta and/or corticosteroids was independently associated with ALT/AST elevation.

COVID-19 presenting with diarrhoea and hyponatraemia.

COVID-19 is a viral disease with a high infectivity rate. The full spectrum of the disease is not yet understood. This understanding may help in limiting potential exposure. We present a young man with diarrhoea, abdominal pain and hyponatraemia who turned out to be positive for COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 in children: Characteristics, antimicrobial treatment, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: At present, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread in many countries. We conducted this study to help pediatricians understand the conditions of COVID-19 in children. METHODS: We retrospectively summarized the characteristics, treatment and outcomes of pediatric cases in Wuhan Children's Hospital which was the only designated hospital for children with COVID-19 in Hubei Province. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: As of February 29, 75 children had been discharged, of which only one was has severe pneumonia and one was critical cases. Children younger than 2 years were more susceptible to COVID-19. All patients have received interferon-α nebulization, and eight cases including the severe and critical cases were co-administrated ribavirin. Five patients with mild pneumonia were given arbidol. Twenty-three patients were given traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The average length of stay (LOS) and the time of SARS-CoV-2 clearance were 10.57 and 6.39 days, respectively. None of the factors was associated with LOS or time of SARS-CoV-2 clearance. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of COVID-19 in pediatric cases were milder than adults. The efficacy of the antiviral therapy in children with COVID-19 remains to be evaluated.