Today, the results of a clinical trial sponsored by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences were reported on the JAMA website. The trial tested the repurposed drug fluvoxamine as a treatment for mild-to-moderate COVID-19, and found no benefit. The trial was conducted after the Omicron variant and various subvariants had been circulating, and two-thirds of the participants reported having received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. In comparison, a Brazilian trial conducted before the Omicron variant and subvariants were circulating included unvaccinated participants.
In an accompanying editorial, Adarsh Bhimraj, M.D., of Houston Methodist Hospital and Jason Gallagher, Pharm.D., of Temple University in Philadelphia praised the persistence of researchers who conducted the latest fluvoxamine trial. They noted that drugs that have shown effectiveness against more problematic SARS-CoV-2 variants earlier in immune-naive populations require further study to define their role in the current landscape of COVID-19.
These findings demonstrate the importance of conducting trials in different populations to explore the efficacy of treatments for COVID-19. Further research is necessary to explore the efficacy of drugs against more problematic variants and in different populations. While the fluvoxamine trial was inconclusive, the dedication and persistence of the researchers involved should be commended as we continue to learn more about effective treatments for COVID-19.