‘Favipiravir’ leads to significant improvement in clinical cure in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients: Glenmark study

Mumbai : The oral antiviral medication ‘Favipiravir’ leads to significant improvement in clinical cure in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, according to the findings of the phase-3 clinical study conducted by Pharma major Glenmark which sells the medicine in the brand  name  FabiFlu®.

The results of the clinical study are now published online in The International Journal of Infectious Diseases (IJID). The IJID is a globally reputed, peer-reviewed, pubmed indexed, open access journal published monthly by the International Society for Infectious Diseases, USA. The published findings will also appear in the print edition of the journal in the coming weeks.

The publication on the study titled “Efficacy and Safety of Favipiravir, an Oral RNADependent RNA Polymerase Inhibitor, in Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19: A Randomized,Comparative, Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase 3 Clinical Trial” was authored by Dr. Zarir .F. Udwadia and other co-authors.

The Phase 3 study with antiviral drug Favipiravir, brand name FabiFlu®, was conducted in 150 patients as part of a randomised, open label, multicenter, Phase 3 study. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Favipiravir plus standard supportive care (Favipiravir treatment arm), versus standard supportive care alone (control arm), in mild to moderate patients, randomized within a 48 hour window of testing RT-PCR positive for COVID-19.

Favipiravir was found to provide multiple treatment benefits, demonstrated by faster time to clinical cure, and significantly delayed the need for supportive oxygen therapy. Additionally, patients of confirmed COVID-19 with moderate symptoms were discharged from hospital earlier than those patients that did not receive Favipiravir, with the median time to clinical cure reduced by 2.5 days compared with the control group.

“Every claim for the efficacy of a new drug in COVID-19 must be backed by evidence from a clinical trial. Glenmark has done just that with Favipiravir. Their well-designed trial in 150 patients showed Favipiravir resulted in a significantly improved time to clinical cure and rapid viral clearance. Based on this I would consider the use of this anti-viral drug in symptomatic patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. I eagerly await the results of similar trials presently being conducted in Boston and at Stanford, Dr Zarir F. Udwadia. MD, FRCP, FCCP, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai.

Last June, Glenmark had secured manufacturing and marketing approval from India’s drug regulator  Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for Favipiravir (FabiFlu®), making it the first oral approved medication in India for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.