Preliminary Clinical Experience of Molnupiravir to Prevent Progression of COVID-19 in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Miguel Villamarín, Ester Márquez‐Algaba, Juliana Esperalba, Manel Perelló, Ibai Los‐Arcos, David Campany, Francesc Moreso, Óscar Len
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recently, different therapeutic lines have been tried in the initial stage of the disease of COVID-19, including remdesivir and molnupiravir. There is scarce evidence on the efficacy and safety of molnupiravir in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). METHODS: ingle-center prospective cohort study' all adult KTRs diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated with molnupiravir or remdesivir from January to April 2022 were included. RESULTS: Nine KTRs with SARS-CoV-2 (Omicron variant) infection and mild symptoms received molnupiravir in an outpatient basis and were compared with a cohort of similar patients treated with remdesivir (n = 7). Three patients in the molnupiravir cohort were in the early posttransplant period and received a basiliximab (n = 2) or antithymocite globulin-based induction (n = 1). One of the patients had been treated with methylprednisolone bolus and antithymocite globulin for an episode of acute rejection in the previous months. They were all vaccinated with mRNA vaccines' and all but 1 had serological response. Only one of the patients experienced clinical worsening despite molnupiravir treatment and developed pneumonia requiring hospital admission. None of the patients suffered adverse effects attributed to molnupiravir' and no adjustment of tacrolimus dose was needed. None of the patients treated with remdesivir progressed in COVID-19 severity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that KTRs with SARS-CoV-2 infection under treatment with molnupiravir have a good clinical evolution with a probable lower risk for hospitalization and no adverse effects. At the renal level, molnupiravir was well tolerated, with no evidence of nephrotoxicity secondary to the drug nor interactions with the immunosuppressive therapy.