COVID-19 Safety and efficacy of fluvoxamine in ICU patients: an open-label, prospective cohort study with corresponding controls.

PMID: 34719789 DOI: 10.1111 / bcp.15126

Commentary

This study was designed as an open-label, prospective cohort study with matched controls, in which 51 ICU COVID-19 patients admitted to the University Hospital of Dubrava and the University Hospital Center of Zagreb, Croatia, in April and May 2021, were treated with fluvoxamine 100 mg three times daily for 15 days in addition to standard therapy, and were prospectively matched for age.

As a result, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups with respect to ventilator support days, ICU duration, or total hospital stay, but overall mortality was 58.8% (n = 30/51) in the fluvoxamine group versus 76.5% (n = 39/51) in the control group, HR 0.58, 95% CI (0.36 to 0.94, p = 0.027).

Based on the results of this analysis, fluvoxamine treatment in addition to the standard of care in hospitalized ICU COVID-19 patients may have a positive impact on patient survival.