Is favipiravir effective in treating COVID-19?
Is favipiravir effective in treating COVID-19?
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There is currently not enough evidence to know whether or not favipiravir, also known as Avigan, can effectively treat COVID-19; however, the preliminary evidence is promising. Favipiravir is a drug that is used as an influenza medication in Japan and China, and is currently in studies to treat other viral infections, including COVID-19, in many other countries. Early studies involving favipiravir has showed promising results in reducing the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 and aiding in the recovery of patients. However, there were shortcomings to these early studies, such as only having a small number of patients involved and the presence of age differences between study groups. Additionally, not all studies randomly assigned to their groups (called randomization) and not all studies "blinded" their study subjects and their doctors (meaning they both knew which treatments they received and didn't receive). This helps explain why there is a lack of consensus as to whether or not favipiravir is an effect treatment for COVID-19 at this time. Main advantages of favipiravir are that it is administered orally and that it can be given in patients who are symptomatic but not ill enough to be hospitalized. As of November 2020, the International Journal of Infectious Diseases published a set of case studies of COVID-19 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition, and found that all patients showed a clinical and chest imaging improvement, and all patients recovered without subsequent hypoxemia. Once again, while these results are promising, they are case studies and not formal research studies and therefore have signifiant limitations.
There is currently not enough evidence to know whether or not favipiravir, also known as Avigan, can effectively treat COVID-19; however, the preliminary evidence is promising. Favipiravir is a drug that is used as an influenza medication in Japan and China, and is currently in studies to treat other viral infections, including COVID-19, in many other countries. Early studies involving favipiravir has showed promising results in reducing the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 and aiding in the recovery of patients. However, there were shortcomings to these early studies, such as only having a small number of patients involved and the presence of age differences between study groups. Additionally, not all studies randomly assigned to their groups (called randomization) and not all studies "blinded" their study subjects and their doctors (meaning they both knew which treatments they received and didn't receive). This helps explain why there is a lack of consensus as to whether or not favipiravir is an effect treatment for COVID-19 at this time. Main advantages of favipiravir are that it is administered orally and that it can be given in patients who are symptomatic but not ill enough to be hospitalized. As of November 2020, the International Journal of Infectious Diseases published a set of case studies of COVID-19 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition, and found that all patients showed a clinical and chest imaging improvement, and all patients recovered without subsequent hypoxemia. Once again, while these results are promising, they are case studies and not formal research studies and therefore have signifiant limitations.
Publication
What our experts say
There is currently not enough evidence to know whether or not favipiravir, also known as Avigan, can effectively treat COVID-19; however, the preliminary evidence is promising. Favipiravir is a drug that is used as an influenza medication in Japan and China, and is currently in studies to treat other viral infections, including COVID-19, in many other countries. Early studies involving favipiravir has showed promising results in reducing the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 and aiding in the recovery of patients. However, there were shortcomings to these early studies, such as only having a small number of patients involved and the presence of age differences between study groups. Additionally, not all studies randomly assigned to their groups (called randomization) and not all studies "blinded" their study subjects and their doctors (meaning they both knew which treatments they received and didn't receive). This helps explain why there is a lack of consensus as to whether or not favipiravir is an effect treatment for COVID-19 at this time.
Main advantages of favipiravir are that it is administered orally and that it can be given in patients who are symptomatic but not ill enough to be hospitalized. As of November 2020, the International Journal of Infectious Diseases published a set of case studies of COVID-19 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition, and found that all patients showed a clinical and chest imaging improvement, and all patients recovered without subsequent hypoxemia. Once again, while these results are promising, they are case studies and not formal research studies and therefore have signifiant limitations.
There is currently not enough evidence to know whether or not favipiravir, also known as Avigan, can effectively treat COVID-19; however, the preliminary evidence is promising. Favipiravir is a drug that is used as an influenza medication in Japan and China, and is currently in studies to treat other viral infections, including COVID-19, in many other countries. Early studies involving favipiravir has showed promising results in reducing the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 and aiding in the recovery of patients. However, there were shortcomings to these early studies, such as only having a small number of patients involved and the presence of age differences between study groups. Additionally, not all studies randomly assigned to their groups (called randomization) and not all studies "blinded" their study subjects and their doctors (meaning they both knew which treatments they received and didn't receive). This helps explain why there is a lack of consensus as to whether or not favipiravir is an effect treatment for COVID-19 at this time.
Main advantages of favipiravir are that it is administered orally and that it can be given in patients who are symptomatic but not ill enough to be hospitalized. As of November 2020, the International Journal of Infectious Diseases published a set of case studies of COVID-19 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition, and found that all patients showed a clinical and chest imaging improvement, and all patients recovered without subsequent hypoxemia. Once again, while these results are promising, they are case studies and not formal research studies and therefore have signifiant limitations.
Context and background
The context for favipiravir is the same as for avifavir, given that avifavir is a generic form of favipiravir. Favipiravir as a potential COVID-19 treatment has been emerging in visibility since delivery of the drug to Russian hospitals beginning in June, following the approval of the Russian Ministry of Health. The approval followed promising but limited studies on favipiravir's accuracy in Russia, carried out in partnership of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and the ChemRar Group. Studies on the drug had also been conducted in China -- with seemingly promising results yet severe study limitations -- as well as in the US, Italy, Japan and India. Favipiravir works by selectively inhibiting RNA polymerase, necessary for viral replication, but data on its efficacy for COVID-19 is still inconclusive. Trends in Russia's COVID-19 data, and additional evidence overall are needed to determine efficacy. Though only approved for influenza treatment in Japan, the drug has also been tested with varying levels of accuracy for treatment of Ebola, Zika, West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and Rift Valley fever, among other diseases.
The context for favipiravir is the same as for avifavir, given that avifavir is a generic form of favipiravir. Favipiravir as a potential COVID-19 treatment has been emerging in visibility since delivery of the drug to Russian hospitals beginning in June, following the approval of the Russian Ministry of Health. The approval followed promising but limited studies on favipiravir's accuracy in Russia, carried out in partnership of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and the ChemRar Group. Studies on the drug had also been conducted in China -- with seemingly promising results yet severe study limitations -- as well as in the US, Italy, Japan and India. Favipiravir works by selectively inhibiting RNA polymerase, necessary for viral replication, but data on its efficacy for COVID-19 is still inconclusive. Trends in Russia's COVID-19 data, and additional evidence overall are needed to determine efficacy. Though only approved for influenza treatment in Japan, the drug has also been tested with varying levels of accuracy for treatment of Ebola, Zika, West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and Rift Valley fever, among other diseases.
Resources
- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy research letter about favipiravir as a potential treatment for COVID-19 (JAC)
- A Review of SARS-CoV-2 and the Ongoing Clinical Trials (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)
- Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Italy: Analysis of Risk Factors and Proposed Remedial Measures (Frontiers in Medicine)
- The First 75 Days of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak: Recent Advances, Prevention, and Treatment (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)
- Engineering Experimental Treatment with Favipiravir for COVID-19: An Open-Label Control Study (Engineering)
- Case studies of SARS-CoV-2 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
- Favipiravir: A new and emerging antiviral option in COVID-19 (Medical Journal of Armed Forces India)
- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy research letter about favipiravir as a potential treatment for COVID-19 (JAC)
- A Review of SARS-CoV-2 and the Ongoing Clinical Trials (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)
- Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Italy: Analysis of Risk Factors and Proposed Remedial Measures (Frontiers in Medicine)
- The First 75 Days of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Outbreak: Recent Advances, Prevention, and Treatment (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)
- Engineering Experimental Treatment with Favipiravir for COVID-19: An Open-Label Control Study (Engineering)
- Case studies of SARS-CoV-2 treated with favipiravir among patients in critical or severe condition (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
- Favipiravir: A new and emerging antiviral option in COVID-19 (Medical Journal of Armed Forces India)
