Scientists discussed the use of favipiravir in COVID-19 therapy

Almost a year and a half has passed since the announcement of the pandemic of coronavirus infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. During this time, doctors and pharmacists have made significant progress in studying the new coronavirus and methods of combating it. And, according to experts, along with vaccines, antiviral drugs will play a crucial role in defeating the pandemic.*

Modern possibilities of etiotropic therapy for COVID-19 and other diseases caused by RNA-containing viruses became the topic of a recent expert council under the auspices of the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internists (RNMOT) and the consortium of the Academic Community for the study of coronavirus infection. The issue of the pharmacological validity of the drug favipiravir in the treatment of patients with COVID-19, influenza and other diseases caused by RNA-containing viruses occupied a large place during the discussion.

"Favipiravir has an excellent antiviral reputation," says the director of the Medical Institute of the National Research Mordovian State University. Ogareva, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Larisa Balykova. Moscow State University named after Ogareva was one of the centers for conducting an open randomized multicenter comparative study of the efficacy and safety of the drug "Areplivir" (favipiravir manufactured by Promomed Group is produced under this trademark).

According to Larisa Balykova, favipiravir therapy improves the clinical status according to the WHO scale four days faster and twice as often as with standard treatment. "This effect was achieved in absolutely all age categories, including in the category of patients over 60 years of age. By the tenth day, favipiravir ensured virus elimination in 98% of our patients. Whereas in the control group — 76% of patients, - the professor notes. - The course of favipiravir therapy provided a marked improvement in lung condition. More than 60% of patients had no or minimal signs of lung damage after the course of therapy. Saturation normalization occurred faster, and on the third day, patients were relieved of fever."

Larisa Tarasova, a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, gave an impressive example from clinical practice. Since July 2020, when favipiravir began to be admitted to the Surgut Regional Clinical Hospital, the doctors who prescribed it have never had to fill out the mandatory notification form about an adverse reaction or lack of therapeutic effect.

Larisa Tarasova also noted that favipiravir can also be used for preventive purposes: "If, for example, a patient has been in contact with a patient with coronavirus infection, and the probability of infection is high, then preventive treatment with this drug, I think, will be justified."

In July 2020, Academician Dmitry Pushkar, speaking at a meeting of the Committee on Defense and Security of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, figuratively described this process as follows: "How does the drug work? It really destroys the ribonucleic acid — the "brain" or "genitals" (as a urologist, this is closer to me) of the virus and stops its reproduction."

* The text was prepared based on the materials of the popular science supplement of the Kommersant Publishing House dated June 17, 2021. "The offensive on the therapeutic front. What progress has been made in the treatment of COVID-19."

Source: kommersant.ru

1. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4857039