RETRACTED ARTICLE: Efficacy of combined Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia: a multicenter Egyptian study
Mahmoud El‐Bendary, Sherief Abd‐Elsalam, Tamer Elbaz, Wafaa Elakel, Ahmed Cordie, Tamer Elhadidy, Hatem Elalfy, Khaled Farid, Mohamed Elegezy, Adel El‐Badrawy, Mustafa Neamatallah, Mohamed Abd Elghafar, Marwa Salama, Mohamed AbdAllah, Mahmoud Essam, Mostafa Elshazly, Gamal Esmat
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Limited experimental and clinical evidence suggests a potential role for sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID19. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of generic sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This multicenter prospective study involved 174 patients with COVID-19. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group A (96 patients) received sofosbuvir (400 mg)/daclatasvir (60 mg) for 14 days in combination with conventional therapy. Group B (78 patients) received conventional therapy alone. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were collected at baseline, after 7, 14, and 28 days of therapy. Primary endpoint was rate of clinical/virological cure. RESULTS: A lower mortality rate was observed in group (A) (14% vs 21%, P = 0.07). After 1 month of therapy, no differences were found in rates of ICU admission, oxygen therapy, or ventilation. Additionally, a statistically significant shorter duration of hospital stay (9% vs 12%, P < 0.01) and a faster achievement of PCR negativity at day 14 (84% versus 47%, P < 0.01) were noticed in group (A). CONCLUSION: Adding sofosbuvir/daclatasvir to conventional therapy of COVID-19 is promising. Their use is associated with shorter hospital stay, faster PCR negativity and may be reduced mortality.