Researchers from the UK and China conducted a clinical trial to find the efficacy of lopinavir and ritonavir against COVID-19. This was a randomized controlled trial involving 199 COVID-19 confirmed and hospitalized patients. Of these, 100 received standard care, and 99 received the drug combination. The results revealed that
• In both treatment approaches, the time to clinical improvement was similar.
• The percentage of clinical improvement at day 14 for those on lopinavir and ritonavir was 45.5% as compared to 30% on standard care.
• The need for steroids was 33% for patients receiving standard care and 35.7% for those receiving standard care.
• Clinical time to the improvement of symptoms was one day shorter for lopinavir-ritonavir than standard care alone on an average.
• Patients receiving lopinavir-ritonavir had a shorter stay in the ICU compared to standard care.
• Serious side-effects were common in those receiving standard care. GI side effects were common in the lopinavir-ritonavir group.
• Viral loads at various time points were similar for both groups.
The study concluded that lopinavir-ritonavir did not provide significant benefit in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19.
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Ref link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001282