April 21, 2020 / Leah Rosenbaum, Forbes Staff
TOPLINE
In a small randomized control study, researchers in China found that HIV drug Kaletra and influenza drug Arbidol have no effect on patients with mild to moderately severe COVID-19 infections.
KEY FACTS
- The trial, published by the journal Med by Cell Press, included 86 patients: 34 received Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), 35 received Arbidol (umifenovir), and 17 patients received only supportive care and oxygen if needed.
- The researchers found no significant difference in the length of time that patients had the disease or the severity of their symptoms based on which medication they took; in fact, several participants who took Kaletra had worse gastrointestinal side effects compared to the control group.
- The news follows another study of Kaletra, an HIV drug produced by AbbVie, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March that also found the drug ineffective.
- Despite these studies, black markets for the drug have emerged around the world, including in Russia.
- Though small, the study deals a blow to two of the top potential coronavirus treatments; according to the FDA, no medications have been approved to treat COVID-19.
