Efficacy and safety of favipiravir and remdesivir in COVID-19 patients: Clinical data

Aim. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of favipiravir and remdesivir in the infectious disease hospital of the Volgograd region in 2022. Materials and methods . In total, 559 medical records of patients prescribed favipiravir or remdesivir in 2022 were studied. Long-term results of the drug use and disease outcomes after discharge or transfer to another medical institution were assessed using the Federal registry of people with COVID-19. Results. Favipiravir was more frequently prescribed in mild cases of the disease. After excluding patients without signs of lung injury from the analysis, there were no significant differences in mortality and improvement. Patients receiving favipiravir had lower odds of ALT elevations above 5 upper limits of normal and developing drug-induced liver injury with a possible RUCAM score compared with patients receiving remdesivir (OR = 0.40, 95CI 0.20–0.80 and OR = 0.30, 95 CI 0.08–1.08). Conclusion. The limited experience of the use of favipiravir for COVID-19 necessitates further research into its efficacy and safety, particularly when prescribing warfarin and high doses of direct anticoagulants simultaneously.