The impact of gender differences on the efficacy/safety of pharmacological therapy in SARS-CoV-2 infection

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim:We currently do not have a specific therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection;experimental therapies have been improved with various drugs such as lopinavir/ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab with controversial data about efficacy. The aim of the study is to highlight any gender differences in the response to the aforementioned therapies. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 234 patients, 96 F and 138 M, referring to our CoViD UNIT from March 2020 to April 2021, divided into groups based on the administered drug. Results: Lopinavir/ritonavir in the overall cohort (M+F) the drug reduces the risk of death/ICU admission (p=0.01);this impact on the outcome is not significant in the individual groups M and F when analyzed separately. On the other hand, considering mortality alone, in the collective group this was lower in treated patients, an efficacy figure that does not differ in the two sexes after stratification by gender. Hydroxychloroquine considering the whole cohort there is a reduced mortality in the treated (p <0.001). The impact of the drug on the risk of death/intensive care admission is comparable in the two sexes. Tocilizumab the drug does not change the risk of death/ICU admission in the overall group;the subgroup analysis is lacking due to the small number of samples. Conclusions: The gender difference does not show a significant impact on the efficacy of the drugs considered. New studies, on larger cohorts, are needed to confirm or refute these preliminary data.