The drug fluvoxamine is being studied for the treatment of Covid-19 because it can reduce inflammation.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Antidepressant drugs fluvoxamine able to reduce the need for inpatient services in hospitals in high-risk adult Covid-19 patient groups. Not only that, this drug also has a very affordable price.
Fluvoxamine is antidepressant drugs commonly used in cases of depression or obsessive compulsive disorder. This drug is being studied for the treatment of Covid-19 because it has the ability to reduce inflammation. In addition, several small-scale studies have also shown that the use of fluvoxamine for the treatment of Covid-19 is promising.
In this study, researchers involved nearly 1,500 adult Covid-19 patients in Brazil. These patients are at high risk for developing severe symptoms of Covid-19 because they have other health problems that can aggravate Covid-19, such as diabetes.
Half of the patients were given medication fluvoxamine, while the rest received a placebo or an empty drug that had no effect. During the four weeks of follow-up, researchers collected information on patients who were either later hospitalized or were hospitalized for a long time in the ED because the hospital’s capacity was full.
In the group that received fluvoxamine, there are 11 percent of patients who are then hospitalized or treated for a long time in the ER. In the group that received the placebo, 16 percent of the patients underwent the same treatment.
This study has been published in the journal Lancet Global Health assessed to give results that are quite clear that fluvoxamine can reduce the need for inpatient services in hospitals for high-risk Covid-19 patients. Further studies are needed to determine the correct dosage, as well as to see if mild Covid-19 patients could also benefit from the drug fluvoxamine.
Drug fluvoxamine also has an advantage in terms of price. A series of Covid-19 treatments using fluvoxamine only costs as much as 4 US dollars or around Rp. 57 thousand. For comparison, the antibody infusion therapy series for the treatment of Covid-19 costs around US$2,000 or around Rp. 28.4 million, while the Covid-19 treatment series with antiviral pills from Merck costs around US$700 or around Rp. 9.9 million.
The results of this study have been submitted to the United States National Institutes of Health, which plays a role in the preparation of treatment guidelines. The research team hopes to get recommendations from WHO regarding the use of fluvoxamine for the treatment of Covid-19.
“If the WHO recommends this, you will be widely adapted. We hope it can lead to saving many lives,” said researcher Dr Edward Mills from McMaster University, as reported by the BBC. AP News, Friday (29/10).
Dr. Paul Sax of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School said fluvoxamine and Merck’s antiviral drug for Covid-19 works in a different way. However, it is not impossible that both of them can be side by side as a Covid-19 treatment.
“Maybe they can complement each other,” explains Dr Sax, who was not involved in the study.
Regarding the treatment of Covid-19, there is also currently a large study that is studying eight pre-existing drugs to be used as Covid-19 drugs. Currently, the drug being investigated in this study is a hepatitis drug.
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