Effects of Remdesivir and Favipiravir on Covid-19 Clinical Outcomes : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: After nearly two years, there is still no proven treatment for infection with severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)?the virus that causes Covid-19. Currently, the two most widely known drugs for treating Covid-19 are remdesivir and favipiravir. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of remdesivir and favipiravir on Covid-19 clinical outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on the PubMed and Scopus databases was undertaken to identify studies that have examined the effects of remdesivir and favipiravir on Covid-19 outcomes. To weighted group mean differences for within- and between-group comparisons, odds ratio effect sizes, and random-effects models were used. Subgroup analyses were also conducted to determine the effects of potential sources of heterogeneity, which was assessed using the I-squared (I²) test.

Results: Twenty-eight studies with a total of 10,871 adult participants were included in the analysis. According to pooled analysis results, there was no statistically significant difference between the remdesivir/favipiravir and control groups in terms of mortality, intensive care unit admissions, or adverse effects (p > 0.05). Mean hospitalization duration was significantly different for those receiving remdesivir (0.1-day increase) and favipiravir (0.06-day decrease), but these findings included significant levels of publication bias. Treatment duration was found to be a significant source of heterogeneity in the mortality results.

Conclusion: Remdesivir and favipiravir have no effect on mortality, intensive care unit admissions, or duration of hospitalization for Covid-19 patients.